Mafia: The Birth of Atrius Jones
by Stelm
Summary: "The American dream looked more like the Negro nightmare." - Willie Rocker. This is the story of a young gun who works hard to get respect in Empire Bay. A place that was against him before he came out the womb.
1. Just Run

**Stelm: **_**Ok guys and gals this is a little project I worked on for a good little while. I already started it so the first few should come up fairly quickly. Be warned it is contains butt loads of awesomeness. The M is for some sexual content(none to graphic), blood, strong language, Drugs and Alcohol, violence, and did I mention butt loads of AWESOMNESS. Planning on doing a GTA fanfic because there are alot of bad ones (amongst some good ones). Already got the plot laid out for it. Might just try and use one of the existing cities and put stories beside it. Maybe a little callabo action. Please review it's what I eat in the mornings so... yah. Now on to the story. Enjoi! **_

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**Chapter I: Just Run**

_February 9, 1952, Unknown_

_My name is Atri... I mean… Willie Rocker I was born in Cuba year 1937. I saw one of my old family pictures yesterday. Made me think. I didn't remember much about my hometown except that we had it pretty bad. Then one day my dad decided we should move to United States. Away from the grime of Cuba and the racism of the south. To start a new life in America, more specifically in Empire Bay. Never in my life had I seen anything so beautiful, never so big, it seemed perfect. It was only until I saw my new "home" did I change my mind. The American dream looked more like a Negro nightmare. My father started working at a dock not too far from where we lived for one mister Elroy Tussle who had worked with the National Association for the advancement of Colored Peopled. Dock work looked worse than yard work, a life we thought we had escaped. In the end most of the money went into his cocaine addiction. One day when as my ma was walking me to the candy shop a group of armed robbers ran towards us. My mom and me ran though a few alleys before one of the men caught her. By time the police had shoed up the Italians had filled her with lead. The police shot one of the guys but the other three got away. Times were sad then, nobody to hug when I was sad or mad. Really an empty existence. Eventually my pa sent me to school to learn proper English which I sure as hell wasn't going to do that in a neighborhood full of illiterates and Geechees. One walk from school made me see how close we were to Greenfield Academy, it also made me see two guys named JeVonnnie "Vonnie" Nicholas and Martin "Marty" Santorelli getting beat up by some other neighborhood gang. After I rushed to help them out I earned their respect and was accepted into there now three man gang. Over time we began to be best friends. It was the summer of 1950 when we hijacked a truck filled with fine leathers. One our way to drop the goods of to a man named Kenny we were stopped by a cop who wanted to check Vinnie's license. He was age appropriate but when he asked for us to give him the key we ran. Marty was the only one that got home free. Vinnie got caught first and I got caught a day later. The courts proved us too strong and young to rot in jail so we were sentenced to three years in a free labor program that would send us to work at different workplaces. Including agricultural areas, docks, warehouses, factories, and mining sites. _

"Ey Willie wait up!"

"Come on Vonnie they found a new spot. I wanna get there before those chinks do!"

"Fuck that dig site Mister Telleser wants to see both of us!"

I didn't have time for games. He had pulled a few jokes on him before and they laughed but now wasn't the time. He and I both knew that a new dig site had the possibility of containing a lot of coal to take out. The faster we took it out the sooner we could let the late guys come and scrape the bit of coal so they can take a break. At least until one of the "specialist" blow up another mine for us to do the rest.

Jokes were sparse however in a place as dim as Sussex New Jersey. With the air as toxicated as it was a laugh could turn into a deadly cough in a half a second. The work conditions was nowhere for a normal kid. Guys like me and Vinnie could tough through it though, we always did.

In reality though I didn't want to go dig out anything. All I wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep even if I got trampled one by a bunch of heavy men with boots in the process. Sweat as soaking my overalls, and was painted on my face. All the cold did was freeze it and make it even more dangerous to stay still and chat. The smell was the worst; it almost made me want to throw up on myself. I knew the last thing I ate whatever it was smelt better than how I smelt now. Plus his food was probably warmer than he was.

"What does he want?"

"Does that even matter let's just go to his office."

I turned around to see a muddy Vonnie wearing his usual overalls and brain bucket with a headlight. I hadn't seen Mister Telleser in two months. The man never called anybody in his office unless they were being questioned or being set free. I knew not to get my hopes up. It never had done me well before.

I didn't want to test his patience so I ran as fast I could to Vonnie who grabbed my shoulder before I could start past him. "What the hell?"

"I got a free pass Willie! A free pass!"

"What you sayin' Von?"

"Remember last month when they split us into groups?"

"Yeah you were in the group that went to Lost Haven to work in the docks for some labor union guy. While I was sent to slave away in a graveyard in Texas."

"Well while I was working for them a guy named Vito…well he came by. He started some big gunfight and I helped, big time. Anyway the few weeks they let me stay I kept in contact with the guy. I snuck out to help him with more sensitive stuff too, says he trust me real good now. He gave me two stun dart guns and 250 dollars and made me promise to get out of Jersey the 9th of February. Today!"

"250 dollars?"

"I know right! Just grab the guns and we'll split the cash later."

"Hold up. How did you get the guns in here anyway?"

"A guy who said he was with Vito smuggled it in. The security guard with the dead eye."

"So we really gonna do this?"

"Now or never."

Money was in my mind. A lug of cash like that could last a long long while. Getting out was gonna be hard but he had never had money like that ever.

"Hey before we do anything where's the money?" I asked and Vonnie pulled out two rubber band held small stacks of green. One was obviously smaller than the other.

"Whose getting the smaller one?"

"You. I got to make ends meet. I owe this guy a big favor."

"Not really we only have one and a half more years. Besides why is he giving me all this why don't you do this alone?"

"Because I can't leave without you. You're my one and only true friend Will, don't forget it." Vonnie said convincingly while putting the cash back into his overall pockets.

"Okay so what after we get out?"

"We play smarter next time around. Where those checks come from there's bound to be more."

It took me a while to think about it. They had already been passed 47 times by passing miners, but who was counting? It was getting to be sunset too; a quick move and they would be home. Wait, home was miles and miles away.

"One last question how the fuck are we going to get home after this."

"We got a ride, it'll pick us up at 8 sharp. It'll be a black coupe. You got it?"

"Yeah go pass the guards shoot a few people and leave, good plan." I said and we both laughed for a bit then Vonnie got serious again.

"No these guns aren't set for kill. They stun. The patrols have been fixed so as long as we stay out the light we will be alright." Vonnie said as he pulled the guns out of his sleeve. He looked around and pulled out the check he handed a gun and a check to me. I stuffed the check in my left pocket.

I took while to examine my stun gun as Vonnie and I decided to hide out in the bushes. Most of it was iron and the handle was some sort of leather. It looked like one of those dart shooter guns.

An hour or so later it got dark and I latched the stun gun on my pickaxe handle and kept my shovel in its place around my back just in case I needed a clean knockout. I looked up and down the snow white trail and saw nobody passing through. The miner's who had passed us were taking a while. I didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse. I just had a feeling that we had forgotten something.

"Ok Willie go straight for the gates. There's a hole on the left side of it. Just crawl under and we will be home free. If Marty can go down shooting we can go down stunnin!" Vonnie said louder than expected as he dashed forward.

I followed him dumbly tripping a few times off of the slippery snow. The spotlight was a way off of us and we seemed to make no noise as we scurried through the incoming trees to get closer to the gate. It seemed to happen so fast. It thought all was going well; we were going to be home free.

That as until I heard a snap and a loud bark. A streak of black went out in front of me and came down on Vonnie. It was only until I got a grip on my gun did I see what was happening. A dog had spotted us and was ripping Vonnie leg to shreds. I fumbled getting my gun out and dropped it. The noise turned the dog to me and I lugged my shovel out from its holder. The dog was charging at me when I swung at the shovel seemed to collide perfectly with the beast's big black head.

The monstrous thing was thrown a few meters off but got up as if the blow was only a minor action. After a second of getting his bearings the beast started going for me but I reached my gun before it got a few feet too close. I fired it and unlike other guns it was silent and as the dog got to my feet it went still and I walked over it to tend to Vonnie's wounds.

"Don't go out on me Vonnie! I got some wraps in my overall pocket just let me get it real fast like." I said before I saw a bright light in the distance. It seemed to start to creep our way and I knew what it was automatically. I acted on instinct and I put the heavy kid on my shoulders as I carried him into the bushed where the light passed over us.

As I lay him back on flat land I noticed putting him in the snow was the worst idea ever, his leg looked more messed up now than it did before. I got out the extra wraps I had that we usually used to secure our load when it got too full. I wrapped it around his right leg seeing as the left was fine and tried getting him up.

"Thanks man but we really need to get going."

"Why the rush? Don't you think I like jumping in cold bushed with a musky kid like you?" I said making him laugh as we made our way to the fence.

I pushed Vonnie through first and some of the bandage ripped. When he dragged himself to the other side he cried out loud it looked like it hurt really bad. I made way through as well the fence scratching my back a little as I rushed to fix his bandages up. As I was doing so a light was bathed on us. It was coming from the road. I didn't know who it was but I didn't care I just helped Vonnie get up and opened the back door to put him in and I opened the front door.

"Are you the driver?"

"No I'm the fucking delivery man. Of course I'm the driver! Now get in!"

"Y-yes sir. B-but m-my buddy here got pretty f-f-fucked up by a dog."

"Ah shit, I just got this car. Charlie's gonna be pissed! Just sit him in the back. I'll get him to one of our guys. Empire Bay here the fuck we come." The man said a little too energetically as I let Vonnie lay across the seat in the back and let myself sit into the front. The man began to go past the obvious speed limit five minutes into the trip and a few more minutes later I was knocked out.

It was only an hour or so until the driver who I had learned was a guy named Tony dropped me off minutes later I found myself walking ten blocks up the road to get to Kenny's place. He lived in a house unlike most of his employees, and instead of it being raggedy, unstable, and worn it was made with brick, guarded, and clean. When the guards saw my face they seemed to turn gray, the palest they could get. I knew my way around so I entered the house with silence nobody stopped me they let me walk on through.

I had told Tony to drop me of there because it as the only place I knew to go. He had supplied Vonnie, Marty may his soul rest in peace, and me for years with things to do. From stealing cars to protecting the few prostitutes he had on the streets. Plus he kept us well fed and clothed. He also kept my dad on a steady supply of cocaine that he dwindled down just a little bit every time my dad needed a fix. Kenny told me it was easier to quit that way. He was like family.

Once I got into the room with Kenny I stopped dead in my tracks. The man was wielding a shotgun and it as pointed dead at my face. "You com ina' here to take ah me down Willie? I'm ain't no crackhead! I'm ain't no stupid! I'm Imma, I will I will shoot!"

"One I'm not going to take you down your like family." This made his shotgun's barrel go down just a little.

"From what I've heard you've at least tried the trash." I said causing a little laughter from behind me, a stern face from Kenny.

"Three if you were stupid you would have been playing hoops with halo's right now." I said coldly as Kenny's overly stern facial expression relaxed.

"For the fourth ting' if you shot me my dad would do as he said himself, 'Shoot your mother fuckin' Lights out!' I said finally causing the man to throw his shotgun on the desk and smile his five o'clock shadow dancing and with no time to spare he came and grabbed me in a brotherly type way I guess.

"I heard you killed some wayside bastards! Please tell me they been shitten me." Kenny said letting me go for a second as to not embarrass himself in front of his men.

"Who the fuck told you that?"

"The news, they been saying you left the scene once you and some other cracker murdered a pit full of coal miners."

"Damn…Damn Damn!" I roared angrily as I paced the room. Shit just got way too real.

"What happened?"

"We were the last people to get there. We were always in charge of opening the shafts when people got in and out. Sometimes the sulfur from the stuff we use to blow the mines up with in the first place leave some sort of air. The shit will kill anything in the area, poison them. It was all our fucking fault. We were the skinniest guys in the camp. Everybody else was too big to try to crawl through!"

"Damn kid you need to calm down. Now what did you need? If you want I could give Captain Davado a call and set us up."

"Didn't even know that crooked bastard was still in force, but call him anyway see what he can do." I said a calmer than before.

"By the way your dad gave me a message to send to you when you got back in. Said where he was going he couldn't mail it." Kenny said pulling out an envelope and handing it to me.

I flipped the letter open and read it in silence.

_Dear Son,_

_Your time in the mines has separated us in more ways than one. I want you to know that I love you and that there are already a few black higher education schools are ready to give you a free pass. You should feel happy son most black teenagers don't even get into elementary school without being kicked out. All you need to do is serve your last year with a good note and you will be on your way to Florida. It also saddens me that I will not be able to be there for you when you are set free. It is another business trip. Kenny bought an apartment on Sand Island that you could use when your time is up. The warden wouldn't give me knowledge of where you were going but they promised to tell me so I can mail you there in the times ahead. Love you son, be good._

_P.S. The Palm City Steeds won last night, go figure. Couldn't see most of the game though because they SHOT THE LIGHTS OUT! Your brother got 15 points and 14 rebounds; he said he was going for a visit soon._

The last part left a smile on my face although the letter in itself was sort of depressing. I read the note over and over again the P.S. part making me laugh every time making the bombers around me look at me strange. I knew my father meant every word of the letter, that's what made it so great, so rejuvenating.

The higher education part kind of got me nervous. What if the school decided to change their mind because I had ended up in hard labor because I jacked a truck? The murder charges would make it dangerous anyway. Damn, I needed to sleep take my mind of the killing. First I needed somewhere to sleep, a nice clean place where snitches where few and gangsters were many.

"I do need a house though. Under somebody other than my name on it."

"Sure man I got yah, here's the keys. Apartment 223 Misery Lane. It's my ole place." He said as he went through his desk, and after a few seconds he got out a pair of keys throwing the ring into my hand.

I smiled and shook his hand as he shook his nappy stringy hair shaking like a mad dog. As I left I saw a few familiar faces. It was good to know the Bombers were still the same group of strong black men I had rolled with years ago. They waved me off and I walked my way to my new home.


	2. Mickey the Crab

**Stelm: _Ok like I said before this is going to upload really quick until I get to the 6th or so chapter._**

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**Chapter II: Mickey the Crab**

_February 11, 1952, Empire Bay, Sand Island_

_Vonnie was taken care of by a man named El Greco. Afterwards he rented a hotel room in Little Italy. I wanted to just lay low for a long long time. Fate decided different…_

I woke up a little shorter than the top of the world and for the first time actually got to see my "new" place in the sunlight. It was still the same ugly thing he saw last night. It was made out of bricks painted dark green which was atrocious fashion statement if any. It had a mini bar type kitchen, a dingy bathroom, a TV, a couch, and one twin bed. All jam packed in three room separated by the same type of door. Definitely the type of place Kenny would give to me.

It at least had a full room carpet that covered all the rooms except the kitchen; it was brown with dim white diamonds. The doors were burgundy red and clashed with the rest of the room. Tiles in the kitchen and bathroom unlike the rest of the apartment were black and white. The tacky bar separating the living room from the kitchen was red wood and had mug stains on it. All in all it looked like a poor pack rat's dream and a house stylist's worst nightmare.

After criticizing the apartment I went to get dressed. Didn't really feel like food after the major coal miner massacre that the police were fingering me for. I was so off I only just noticed that I had slept most of the day. I looked on the bedside clock and it read 4:20. So instead of going back to sleep to end my day I went on to see if Kenny had any good clothes. I opened his closet and searched through it for anything of worth. Although I doubted it at first he did.

I picket out a plaid shirt and jeans and decided to just wear the same drawers, at least until I bought some from Dipton. I knew Kenny's issues and I sure as hell didn't want them to be mine. I put on some of the chukker boots Kenny had stored in his closet and slipped them on I also looked in the kitchen for the stun gun I stored behind my silverware drawer. I felt for the hand and when I got a good hold on it I slipped it in the front of my pants and prayed that it didn't go off.

As I was getting ready to head out the doorbell rang. I opened it swiftly to see Vonnie standing in the opening with a smile on his face. "Willie! Great great news. I got some things to get you on your feet man, good good work."

"Do you read the newspapers?"

"My English ain't too good yet."

"Do you listen to the radio?"

"Empire Central."

"Well then you may not have heard but. We… killed… five… guys. To sum it up it was the mine shaft that we left closed while they went in."

"People die Vinnie! I've killed people before fuck it you were responsible for a few deaths. You may not have pulled a trigger but your shoes were never clean. Sorry if that was harsh. I got some guys to talk to over at Freddy's bar you wanna come?" Vonnie said as if the thought of barely innocent guys like us dying was a trivial matter. I decided to just stay calm and go with his plan.

"What if police see us?"

"Our driver will outrun them or bribe them."

"Tony?"

"No a guy named Jimmy."

I stormed over to the window that gave me a good view of the distillery and Misery lane. Parked on the sidewalk was a bald man with a long rain coat. He looked way too old to be out alone but he seemed to be perfectly content leaning on his indigo Walter Rocket.

"That old timer?"

"Trust me man, he's nothing to play with. Heard he was the one behind the Judge Hill Case, remember? We heard about it on the radio a few days ago." Vonnie replied seriously as if I had just flashed a group of choir girls.

"You mean the one where one of the most expensive houses in Empire Bay got torched?"

"Yah. Don't worry about all that now he's been hired to drive me around. Until I get back on my feet."

"Were you ever?" Vonnie smiled at that and started his way down the stairs and out to the coldest weather Empire Bay has ever seen. We trudged through the snow buildup and got into the car.

Half an hour later we pulled up into a parking lot besides an Italian Fruit market. The fruit stand was obviously closed this time of evening; most establishments were in this weather. Vonnie had told me an hour ago that we had to walk casually or somebody might suspect something. We had did everything right so far. Jimmy had even gone through the extra measures of parking his flashy supercharged car's license plate away from traffic as to avoid detection.

Vonnie left the car first and I followed, nobody uttered a word. We turned the corner out of the parking lot and saw the bright neon sign that said Freddy's bar, it was hard to miss. We entered the store to see it empty except for an admiring couple holding hands in the far corner, a drunken Irishmen spitting his woes out to a Hispanic lady obviously out of his league, and three guys playing pool.

I half expected Vonnie to go up to the white only section but instead he said, "You and me together on this, K?"

"You know it Von, but I think I've earned an explanation."

"Too many people looking at us now. We'll sit to the booth besides the one that the blinds cover. That way it will be real hard for any hack to pinch us. I'll tell you then."

The plan seemed full proof, they were on a run. More than that they were free from slaving away in the tunnels, the only pay they got was the good slap of a nightstick that the guards used on any unwilling miners. Most of the ones who did it for a job worked in fancy lighted, safe, and well equipped mines. The mining sites we were usually sent to had higher death, sickness, and injury rated than a few places in South Korea.

One we had sat down in the seats I took a deep breath. From the corner of my eyes I saw a body of white, blue, and black. Police for sure, I thought. Instead something far more dangerous rolled by. It was a state trooper truck. He had seen it once before, the day he got arrested. He was back in the same spot again, except this time he wasn't just involved in a theft and hijacking crime he was involved in a murder case, fuck it they probably think we tried to and halfway succeeded in murdering a miner's shaft full of a mixture of prisoners on working leave, and teenagers who were either too young to be put in jail or too healthy and strong to spend up the State's already deluded cash.

I was just about to start throwing a billion of questions at Vonnie, when our waiter came. It was a familiar face I just couldn't put a name on it. "Hey, welcome to Freddy's Bar and Grill, what will you order?"

If the voice didn't nail it the name tag did, the waiter was my childhood friend, Jina. "Jina you remember me? It's Willie."

The no older girl jumped back as if to say, 'what the hell are you doing alive'? Either that or I had just looked different. I had grown a little bit more facial hair and had gotten a little taller. She looked, better to say the least. Her breast had grown and she her curves had grown in. She wore jeans just like she did back when we went to school together. It would take days to recite all the things we had done together. She was my first love, my first lover (two different things), the person who introduced me to weed, and the girl who had my back even when my boys had been scared off, and was one of the most important people in my life. That made it even more painful for me to have forgotten her so quickly, at first sight I should have recognized her, that's the person I should have seen.

"Willie what the hell are you doing in here? I've heard your name six times on the radio. Did you really suffocate a cave full of people?"

"Jina, I've done things I'm not proud of but I would never do anything like that, and you should know that."

"Just stay here for tonight there is a room up top. Everybody is looking for you, I just don't want you to get into more trouble then you are already in. Those state troopers don't roll out on the streets for anything small. You two look hungry, I'll order yall some pizza." Jina said before she skipped off to the bar that looked like it had recently been changed. A gray haired man whispered a few things in her ear and she went off into the kitchen. The man started walking to us and I felt for the stun gun in my overall's pockets.

"Hey Vonnie nice to see yah, who's the moolie?" Freddy said I lowered my head a little. No matter what I went through I was still looked at as a Negro. It was all good though. One of these days I was going to get mine.

"My friend, I chose him as my associare personale." Vinnie said setting off a fast paced Italian argument.

I felt so out of place, so much culture in the language to the point that it seemed that my race had forgotten it's culture. Some would say we were melting into the American state of mind. The two talked for over half an hour as I ate before Vonnie changed back into English and spoke to me directly.

"Willie there is something big going on. While some would call it a mob war some would call it a standoff. With the heat on us we can't possibly take part in it. So Freddy here brung up that if you or me can stay anywhere that nobody would figure to look for a while then we would be home free. Another thing the reason we had to escape was because Don Scaletta requested that I be one of his soldiers, he needed people he could trust and me and him are cousins. I had killed a few guys for him when I worked for this other fat bastard named Derek. After that I became his eyes and ears until… well you know the rest. Oh and about the miners, Don Scaletta said he would speak to some people about it." Vonnie said making sure to keep his voice down.

"So he'll protect us?"

"We have to give him a place to protect."

"I'll give him one, Apartment 223, Misery Lane in Sand Island. Before we go I need to say bye to Jina."

"You twos have history?" The bartender asked.

"Yeah, I'll just give her a quick hug though." I said as I got out my seat and went into the kitchen. Jina spun at the sound and I rushed to embrace her. Her body was so warm and fit; she could have been a model if she wanted to. Before we let each other go our lips touched once and were tempted to touch again but I knew restraint. I had to leave this place before anybody went searching for us.

Vonnie met me outside of the kitchen and nodded his head towards a shiny purple Walker Rocket equipped with a supercharger parked a few feet in front of the door. Jimmy was our driver again.

Jimmy headed to my house and as I told him to drop me off at the Dipton apparel a few blocks away. When I was about to get out Vinnie came out with me. For a second we stood their awkwardly but finally he said, "The man back at Freddy's said you have to prove yourself. You'll get a call tonight. Please don't make these people mad, if you do…"

He didn't have to finish it I knew the consequences already. No love for the black man I figured. Whatever these people were setting me up to do it was going to wait until later up I said as I went inside the store to buy some underwear with the cash from the check. I asked the blonde behind the register to put my stuffing the bag and she answered positively taking out a bag and putting the box that contained a set of boxers into it. As I exited the store I heard police sirens and started running towards my apartment building. When I swung up Misery Lane I heard the police sirens getting fainter, I was home free, or at least I think that's what Italians call narrowly escaping. I went to my apartment building's door and rushed up to my room to undress and hop in my bed to set my timer for seven.

The alarm radio woke me up and I turned it off quickly jumping out bed. I took a warm shower and hoped out naked as a jaybird when I heard a knock on the door. I looked through the keyhole to see Jina in jeans and a puffy jacket. I knew it would be rude to let her wait there so I cracked the door and awkwardly positioned myself so that I was properly concealed.

"Hey Jina."

"Hey Willie just wanted to see if you made it through the ride."

"Wow, never really thought about it like that. I should get some protection." I said without realizing how that could be interpreted.

"That's why I came." She said before pulling out a magnum from her puffy coat sleeves the sleeves seemed to be holding the gun whole time masked as her simply crossing her arms. Damn she was one smart girl.

"Where did you get a smoker like that? Shit that thing could blow someone's brains out for Christ sakes!"

"Shut ya fuckin' mouth and take it." Jina said and I almost let out a laugh about what the conversation could be about under different circumstances.

"Ok Jina thanks, you don't know how much I appreciate it," I said a little happier to see her, before I heard the shrill sound of my phone ringing, "Hold up, who the hell has got my number this early anyway?"

I cracked the door and walked to the phone and forgot that I was still naked. I answered the phone regardless, "Who is this?"

"Isaac Auer. I have been tipped that you are in need of some money by a very influential figure in my line of work. You will report to our office on Palisade street in an alleyway where a pink car half blocks your path. From there go left until you see a door with a slot on the top. Go up the stairs and the rest will fall into place. You get pinched we never talked to each other." Just like that the phone hung up. I waited for a while for the man to call back but he didn't instead there was just silence. I felt weird just standing their naked so I tiptoed my way to the door, my apartment floors being the coldest I had ever stepped on.

I yelled for Jina to hold up for a little while longer and started to look for clothes to wear. I had three options, long leather coat with a scarf and jeans to be warm, brown cotton coat with slacks to be casual, or track pants and track shirt to look like a Bomber.

I choose the casual and after I put on the wingtips I was surprised to see that Kenny had I went to looking for an afro pick. "Jina set the gun down by the phone stand and lock the door, gotta look for a pick."

"What was the call about?"

"Some guy wants me. He knows who I am and where I live so I don't think I can bargain with him on going."

"Damn. Are you sure you have to?"

"Vonnie told me they were calling to test me."

"Vonnie? You still hanging out with that cracker?"

"Yah he is kind of my friend, you know that."

"Just be careful."

"I'll blend right in."

"Like a school girl in a heroine deal."

"Okay then I'll take a cab." I said finding the pick in the drawer of the nightstand by my bed.

I walked back to the front of the apartment going through my nappy hair brutally forcing me to hold back tears. I got the magnum and flicked the cylinder open to find it fully loaded. Didn't figure I needed any more than this so I didn't ask for more. Put a spare nail that was lying about by the phone stand and positioned it on the cylinder where the gun wouldn't be able to fire unless I took it out. Better safe than with a bullet in my heart. I would rather die by someone else's hands than by my on carelessness.

"Don't get killed on me Willie."

"That's the plan." I said as I kissed her on the cheek and left out of my apartment. I walked down the stairs with a bit of speed and hailed a taxi to take me to Palisade Street.

Once I had arrived at the place the mysterious man who called himself Isaac had told me to go I felt for my gun, still there. The pink car was there and it clashed with its snow covered surroundings. It looked brand new. I walked with a sense of danger into the alleyway looking all around for wires or a detective with a pair of binoculars laying on a rooftop. After going around the alley way corner without incident I saw the door with a slot on it. I approached it with the words fear carved into my heart.

"Hello, I'm looking for a Mr. Auer." I uttered out with a nervous smile, as I heard laughter come out behind the door.

The door opened and three large men with calm faces looked at me with interest. They led me up metal stairs and as I walked I could swear that there were bullet holes in a few of the stair cases and in parts of the wall. The men were armed with guns he only saw in gangster movies and war posters.

When we finished going up two flights of stairs I was greeted by two more guards that aimed their black guns right at me but lowered it and started to chuckled when I froze on the spot. The put there guns down and sat in their chairs. The room itself was worn and tattered. Paint came off of its walls and the floor was dirty. The only furniture in the room was a square table that looked as weathered as the rest of the room.

"If you have any heat on you I suggest you lay them down on the table, no funny business." One of the men said half heartedly the other half obviously was a comedian because the man couldn't seem to get himself together

"Don't want any trouble." I said as I withdrew my magnum and set it down on the table, whipping the man's face straight.

Afterwards the same man who had spoken motioned for me to follow as the he walked towards the wall. It was only when I got close did I see that that part of the wall as actually a door. The man opened it to reveal a fancy looking office with a chair and a wide desk. In the room was a rather plump man with glasses and a small framed wide chest man with hardened facial features.

"We have been waiting for you Willie. Kenny spoke well of you, we have been watching his progress and yours ever so closely. Excuse my rudeness, I am Mr. Levine, and the man you talked to on the phone is the gentleman behind me." The heavy set man said politely adjusting his no legged glasses.

"You must understand Willie that most people come here for loans, drugs, or something in between. Mr. Levine and I have considered hiring you as a mercenary. Because of your age it would be almost impossible for you to work alone. That is why we have given you a partner, someone I have known for a long time. Jimmy, come join us." Mr. Levine said before a bald Caucasian man smoking a cigar.

"So what? This guy? Yah guys tell me youa gotta fresh convict that is as silent as a mouse, and then you bring in a guy who looks like one. Now I was alright with driving him but even this small ting could be too much. Come on Bruno, you know as well as I do that this ain't gonna work." The man who Willie presumed was Jimmy said smoothly his facial expression somewhat masked by his shady sunglasses.

"Hey Jimmy, I'm not falling in love with anything right now. Two years in a miner's camp kind of convinces you not to trust everybody you meet." I said looking at the subtly surprised faces in the room.

"Kid I've killed more people than you have shook hands with. I was in jail for four years, and was forced to kill and kill again. Right now you're not in a bargaining position." Jimmy said his head turning slightly from Mr. Bruno and Isaac to me.

"The decision is final; you two will be working together. Now that all forms of formality have expired I would like to tell you why we are teaming you two up." Mr. Bruno said pulling out his drawer and withdrawing a picture of white middle aged man in janitor clothes.

"His name is Mickey Gullad and he previously borrowed a sum of 6,000 dollars in cash. We ended up supplying him his partners for a big heist on a Native American drug cartel headquarters that was beginning to trying to push in on his rackets here. The three story building went down in a fiery explosion, the wrecking ball was a barrage of grenades that Mickey got from Harry. It was all over the news and a lot of people are closing in on us. Mickey has broken our code of subtlety and his repayment time twice, if detectives bust down our door tomorrow it will be his fault. For that you must make him suffer. Expect the sympathy tactic; we've dealt with him before, just look at his left hand." Bruno said adjusting his glasses once more, before nodding his head to Isaac.

"Jimmy the money has been sent to your account and Willie your money has been sent to you via mail. Mickey is walking from his job and is heading to his Oyster Bay apartment, find him post haste, you know how this works Jimmy." Isaac said motioning for Jimmy and me to leave.

They did so with great speed. Jimmy was silent all the way out the building until they got into a side parking lot. The car in front of him deserved applause. From the words on the car's side I indentified the vehicle as one Jefferson Futura. Its length was almost the size of a limo and its supercharger made it look like a hot rod. It had a black stars themed vinyl on its side and front and had a glass upper framing, a dangerous addition due to the heavy snow. Once Jimmy had opened the neon orange door I saw the all white interior and felt like fainting in bliss. From the other side I opened the door and sat back ready for an awesome ride.

"This is what you get when you work for high end people." Jimmy said hazily with his face still facing the road ahead of them as the car sped up.

"Is the life of a wise guy really this easy?" I said with awe trying thinking back to when he ever heard of a poor Mafioso.

"Ha, wise guys don't have it so easy. I'm not eligible for official initiation into the super secretive Italian and Sicilian mafia families. My Scottish blood prevents any of that." Jimmy said sharply with distaste as he pulled up along the side of the street.

Jimmy and I walked their way into the alleyways that lead to Mickey's apartment. Before we could even search the apartment building for the janitors address, they saw a man that looked picture perfect to the Mickey, the man on the photo. He kept on walking towards them obviously intending to go in his apartment building that they were right beside.

Jimmy walked forward onto the stairs and I felt the urge to follow him, a primed gun for hire had to know a little bit more than he did to stay in the business for this long. We walked up the steps until they got to the second floor. That is when I heard the first footsteps that belonged to Mickey.

"You say you are sneaky then try to find a way to stop him from moving without killing him." Jimmy whispered taking out a knife that shined bright in the night.

The knife made me rethink what was about to go down. I figured they were just going to mess him up. Not stab him! I figured that the knife was to intimidate the man. However I couldn't be to confidence of the action of a complete stranger. Plus if what the man said at Mr. Bruno's place was true then he might go a little too far.

I felt my leather jacket for my only weapon and frowned, there was no use in using something that could kill him. I maneuvered my way to a spot on the 3rd level of wooden outside stairs where Mickey wouldn't se unless he got at the top and looked around. I wouldn't give him the chance. A few steps before the man reached the top Willie went into action.

He using all of his balance techniques walked along the guard rail protecting people from falling onto the stairs. A few feet before the star way rail and the floor rail met went as fast as he could and pounced on the man. He took quick work to tie the man's resisting hands together and tipping the man back into the stairs they had just went in. The effort took Willie with him, and as they both tumbled down the stairs he prayed for the time that Jimmy would act.

It was only when they got to the bottom of the stairs did Willie see Jimmy grab the man and press him into a brick wall beside a residence door. The man screamed only to be met with a sharp punch from Jimmy. The punches lead the man to the floor. It was then that Jimmy withdrew his knife again.

"P-please Jimmy! Whoever is paying you I swear I'll pay double, triple even!" The man pleaded only to get a devastating reply.

Jimmy let a moment of decency pass before Jimmy's left hand seemed to snap at the man's wrist that was already upward attempting to stop him. With his right hand Jimmy stuck one of Mickey's seemingly paralyzed fingers. There was a blood curdling snap and crunch and the finger was off. I almost threw up on the spot but my will stopped me.

"Fuck Jimmy! Thought we were going to rough him up not cut his fucking fingers off!" I yelled looking at the screaming poor man lying on the ground being attacked by the monster that was my partner.

Jimmy just looked at me and shook his head at me like a father who had seen his son do something wrong. To my rising dismay Jimmy hacked way until he had chopped three fingers off. The man rolled on the ground afterwards gripping his hand tears flowing down his face and blood pooling on the wood planks. Jimmy then slashed the blade across the man's face and the man just twisted himself over the edge of the apartment deck trying to tip himself over. Jimmy took one more stab at the man's heel and got up. Lights from apartments around the neighborhood flicked on and Jimmy dashed down the stairs and seconds later I heard the supercharged engines of his Jefferson Futura and later the sounds of the car going off into the distance.

I found myself a good spot a few blocks down a few minutes later and just leaned on a wall in front of the traffic that filled the night. The sounds of screaming still panging in my heart as police sirens fired off in the distance. I knew I would have no ties to the assault; I had no connection to the devil that was Jimmy anyway.

He should have killed him; the man didn't have the right to torture a man like that. He thought the life of a gun for hire was exciting and elegant. What I had witnessed was savagery and cold blooded maneuvers. To thinks that the attack wouldn't be the last of he would see of Jimmy, left his stomach churning even more.

The only thing that soothed his soul was the soft sounds of Boom Boom by John Lee Hooker being playing in one of the apartments a few meters above me. The beat of the drum matching the beat of my heart in harmony. Sirens were still sounding in the distance getting ever closer until a few minutes later three police cars rolled on passed at break neck speed right pass me. I wouldn't have been surprised if the hacks didn't just beat me up because I was standing there, and then recognize me as the three year blue collar criminal that he was. If the man that Mr. Levine called Mickey was in better shape I'm sure they would.

"Hey Jail bird, long time no see." A familiar voice said gleefully out in the near distance.

"Hey Chucky, I just go back from the tunnels, those greaser punks still around?" I said wondering if the old enemies had lived through the times.

"Yah they've been taking hits at me for a while. One of these days we will smoke their big boss!" Chucky said enthusiastically enough to make me actually think about doing it, think being the key word.

Chucky was just as worse as his brother Marty, and I prayed they didn't meet the same fate. Both of them were too enthusiastic for their own good. Only one of them had a wise guy as a friend and ended up with a bullet in his head. The other stuck to fighting Irishmen and Greasers.

"No, none of that. We'll just total one of their _precious hot rods_, that'll show em'. You got a car, cause I need a ride." I said motioning to the car in front of the Dipton Apparel store a few feet off.

"No problem buddy. I got your back, it's getting dark out man I got my mom's car now, and it's pretty sweet." Chucky said motioning to the old Walter brand model. It was good to have friend, I said to myself smiling on the inside. At least I would a little slice of normal in my life.


	3. Old Strangers and a New Family

**Chapter III: Old Strangers and a New Family**

_February 24, 1952, Empire Bay, South Port_

_Chucky and me hung out a lot that week, but in between school and taking care of his mom we just decided to hang out and whatever periodically or when we just wanted to blow off steam by knocking up some grease heads. Which was always fun to do. Time proved that business wouldn't be held off for too long._

"Your work with Mickey disappointed Bruno and me alike. We wanted this to be quite as can be, instead the guy was on the news and everybody felt some type of urge to press on to the matter. You two are very lucky that we have Captain Davado on our payroll." Isaac said sitting at a desk inside a room behind the office that Mr. Bruno worked from across from us.

I lurched forward and had a mind to tell the man that I wasn't the butcher but Jimmy stopped me and said, "You didn't call us for a debriefing you called us for contract now get on with it!"

"Remember your place Jimmy! We picked you up when everybody was against you. Your little Judge Hill stunt would give us full jurisdiction by the commission to kill you where you stand. Face it Jimmy we have the upper hand, your weapons have been confiscated and there are armed men outside that will kill on the snap of my finger!" Isaac said slamming his fist into the wooden desk in front of him causing murmurs to sound in the room up front.

"Not quite, there are something called hold-out weapons. In seconds I could blow your head off. All anybody would here is a pew." Jimmy said calmly remaking the motion in his hand as if nobody understood what he was saying.

"Cool it Jimmy, I'm not going out looking for an industry job. If you shoot him I lose my source of income. In other words you shoot him I shoot you; my place in the world under Empire Bay's laws will be stable." I said sternly before realizing that I was unarmed, and unable to do anything really.

"I might just kill him to see you try." Jimmy said with an arrogant snicker his head now looking down at the floor, as if holding a secret meeting with his shoes.

The odds were that Jimmy wasn't bluffing. Isaac probably had some heat in his desk but by the time he reached for it his head would be the room's new paint job. I however had nowhere to move in this game. It seemed as if the battle was going to be in between the professionals.

Almost on cue two men walked into the back room that was already tense enough from the recent argument, now two strangers come in and made it even tenser. One of the men sported an all matching black tux with white stripes and jet black hair gelled back and short.

The other in sharp contrast has blonde hair that was unkempt and raggedy. One of his front teeth was gone and his face was filled with freckles. He instead of appearing dressed and fashionable like his companion wore a pair of brown overalls and a brownish white shirt with big sand brown boots.

"Who are these fruit baskets?" Jimmy said taking one glance at the unlikely duo.

"These _fruit baskets _are a part of the newest family to contest with Vinci's rule." Isaac said matter-of-factly- glaring at Jimmy with a mix of caution and fear in his eyes.

"George Vala, but most people call me Casket. I've hear great things about you Jimmy." The dressed up one said politely seeming to not notice me in the room.

"I...I…I apologize, it's an honor Mr. V… I mean Casket. May I ask who your companion is?"Jimmy asked his tone changing from arrogant to honored in seconds as he motioned to the county man beside Casket.

"The name is Boot. These guys found me in Lost Haven when I worked for the Irish mob. The Don Nichi took over my crew and selected me as the one they wouldn't kill. So, here I am. Who are you?" The country boy said nodding his head to me.

"The name's Willie, lots of people know my father, Jay Rocker." I said as gasp sounded through the room, Isaac's face started to redden and he started to look extremely nervous as if he was going to wet his pants.

"Now that all the introductions have been issued I would like to inform you that Mr. Bruno and I will also be attending the commission meeting." Isaac said before Mr. Bruno Levine himself walked into room his somewhat tall figure seeming to darken the room.

The duo seemed to grin as Bruno entered the room. I would sooner learn that these guys had been taking loans from Bruno since he had set shop. All I did was sit there observing every face in the room, the face that I noticed the most was Isaac. His face seemed to switching from sorrow to contempt in flashes. I had never seen this in him before, I just had feeling something was going on, and I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"Hello gentlemen, it's nice to see you Icepick." Bruno said immediately noticing the two men's presence, "As Isaac said I will be coming with you on the trip. Due to my non-italian disposition and Don Vinci's strict traditional values I will not be in the main conference room rather I will only handle the guards and security. I will also be told of current financially developments which I'm sure there will be, if not now then soon enough. Our limo is out front."

I stopped listening past that point and thought of what was going to happen. Why couldn't they be in the meeting? Who or what is the Commission? Who the fuck is this Don Vinci? Who would he get to shoot?

After the men finished conversation they started heading out to caravan of Lassietier series 75 Hollywood limos. Each looked able to hold around six people comfortably. Jimmy and I went into one in the back and Ice pick and Boot went into the ones near the front, there were 4 limo's in total. As he entered the car people on the street looked in aw, a black entering a limo full of whites looked as strange as a Woman in BDU.

When we did finally get into the limo we saw that we were not alone. In the car with us was a foreign looking man beside an Italian looking man. The Italian was a big one to say the least and he had on a dark brown rain coat with a black vest and a black shirt, wearing matching pants and shoes. The foreigner dressed more lightly, he had a golden yellow jacket with a black shirt and a green tie, with golden yellow pants and black shoes with green shoestrings, pretty stylish if you asked me.

"My name is Albert Rivette, one of Don Vichi's Capo. Most people just call me Al Please excuse my European friend's rudeness, he's a quiet one." The fat man said he voice sounding genuinely happy as he nudged the bone faced man beside him who had sat awkwardly the whole time as if there was a bomb under his seat.

"Ello, my name is Vadic. Who are you…child." The man said in an accent I had never heard before. The look, no the stare that he gave me looked like it could put an army to its knees.

"My name is Willie."

"Who do you work for?"

"He works for Bruno." Jimmy cut in.

"He been with you long Jimmy?"

"No me and him just _reminded_ a guy of his obligations a few days ago." Jimmy said as the car pulled off into the traffic of business men going out for a lunch break and women getting groceries.

"Fresh then."

"I'm not fresh I just a spent two years working like a slave. The man we _reminded _didn't even get any warning before we cut his fingers off."

"I broke his fingers off." Jimmy said slyly looking out the window as the limo began to head up Palisade Street up to the corner of Lincoln Park to swing a left

"The mark of a mature man is a one who can hold his head. You might get yours shot off before you hit 21."The Slavic man said somberly to no one in particular. He seemed to get quite a kick out of his own saying; it killed me when people did that.

I caught every word the man said, he looked only to be in his early thirties but talked like he was sixty. Antonio was quite the whole time drinking brandy out of the bottle. Vadic stopped staring at me for a while and pulled out his gun. The sight of it made my heart freeze with fear. Instead of putting a bullet through my brain the skinny looking Russian started cleaning and reloading his modern looking semi-automatic. The car was silent all the way to a bar that had a neon sign that read Mono Lisa.

I expected a warehouse or hotel for this get to get here. Instead the bar the caravan had stopped at was smaller my apartment complex. The men rushed outside holding their jackets tight as they noticed it had started to snow, again. The snow had been like this since December and it didn't look like it was going to stop. The papers had even said that this was the coldest winter Empire bay had seen since 1945.

I got out last looking all around for any signs of trouble. There were signs everywhere. Men in black leaning on the walls beside Emery Shirts across the street and windows were snapped open on the apartment complex right next to it. The windows on top of the Mona Lisa were shaded and closed, scaring him even more.

The men from the other limos got out as well and turned before they got to the front door and passed the main window. From what saw it was a pretty nice set up. It had a golden colored wall with several black and white pictures that the owner figured were symbolic. The floor was carpeted olive green and the tables were covered with white table cloths and an orange mat rotated so it looked like the tables diamond. The bar was as standard as I could think of and although there was a radio no music was playing.

I followed the group of men into an alleyway which ended in a dead end. The alley way looked somewhat like a trap and I looked around, everyone was calm except me. Then they turned into a small side hall. There was a door with a golden knob that Jimmy opened first and was greeted by the barrel of a machine gun. He had never seen one of these before; he had only seen it in military movies. The man wielding in lowered it as soon as he saw Jimmy's face and he allowed everyone to come through excluding me.

"Whats the big deal?"

"He is Devaney's associare personale." Mr. Levine chimed in as he moved his way through the crowd of finely dressed gentlemen. So finely dressed even with my long-sleeved white shirt with a gray vest and gray slacks I looked out of place.

"Oh Jimmy's boy." The machine gun wielding guard said as he grinned and everybody around him chuckled. I hated that title.

We walked into the back room passed several gorgeous paintings up the stairs. When we reached the top of the single set of stairs we were met with a double door that Jimmy opened first and a wide well furnished lounge awaited us. There was four passed that but it was covered by a guard wielding some sort of submachine gun.

Inside the room there was a variety of people, men and women. Ranging from silent chinks to big boned people like Vadic to Irishman holding vodka bottle in their hands, they were all dressed and all armed to the teeth. "Jimmy what's with all the non-Italians. When did they let chinks into the mob?"

That made everybody who was in the hearing vicinity laugh out loud. It was Mr. Rivette who corrected me, "No sonny these men are all us men of honor's associates. Big meetings like this need back up support. If anybody in the room ahead you see needs some assistance carrying out their claims they come to some body in this room. I however can go into that next room because I am a proud member of the Nichi Family. Casket will come in too. So will every other official member. Just take a seat and relax enjoy the girls or play some basketball, whatever you want, just don't upset the wrong person." Antonio said before walking off into the next room along with Casket and a few other people who came in with us.

The room was lavish to say the least it would pass as a ball room even. It looked like it had recently been made. He could swear he remembered the times when there were apartments up here. For the people in it there were as relaxed as can be, enjoying the short skirt women who were serving drinks and caressing the lounging men's ego and whatever else that needed caressing.

I took a seat in a red chair next to an old drunken man with a whiskey bottle in his hands telling stories to the men around him. "Fellas don't get use to this sort ah treatment. This here is the biggest fucking commission meeting that's been had since 41! Three fucking family's went down last year, Gr-gravivi Gravina family, the Clementi family, and the fucking Falcones. Now we get two new fucks to deal wit! Fucking Nichi all the fucking way from Lost Haven and the fucking guy who whacked Clementi and Falcone. Damn where those fucking whores!"

Damn, all that happen while I was gone. Whole organize crime syndicates being torn down? I didn't even know what I was doing here. Fuck Vinnie he hadn't contacted me since a week ago. That was only to give me a little money and hang out at Vita's Luncheon for a day. All the fuck he did was talk about what he was going to do from now on, be made and all that happy go lucky shit. For the shit he put me in he should be my bodyguard.

With that thought in my mind I got up from the cushioned seat and looked for Jimmy. He was in the corner sitting with a broad who obviously as hired to be here. Fuck him, I said to myself as I tried to look for Vadic. He was walking into the guarded room with a white man. It was around this time I started to look for the exit. It was harder to see through the cigar fueled smoke cloud that covered the room.

After squinting a little I paced my way to the door. It when I was only when a beefy Italian man walked into the room followed by two skinnier men. Behind them was a delicately dressed man; delicate being the opposite of how he looked. He wore a black shirt with a diamond pattern gray vest, a gray and white dragon tie, a plain black jacket, a black and white fedora, gray slacks, and wingtips.

His face however showed a hard and cruel life. He had scars around his unshaved jaw and chin. He had his largest one on his left forehead and it ran down to his left ear. I ended up getting caught in the man's features and bumped into the big guy that was guarding the front. He with what looked like little effort pushed me into the ground with his shotgun.

I half expected the man to aim his gun at me and blast my sorrows away but instead he gave me his worst look, or at least what I hoped was his worst face, "Get the fuck outta my way!"

I started to get up but was stopped in my tracks when the man seemed to be thrown to the side like a feather to the wind. It was the man with the scarred face. "What the hell is wrong with yahs Courtney?"

The loud insult made everybody around him laugh. A big man with a lady's name was the only thing to laugh about in the room anyway. "Nuthin boss he was in the way."

The scarred man slapped the bigger man in the face turned to me. My heart seemed to turn to stone and I felt like my stomach had just met my toes. "You the kid who's working with ole Jimmy right?"

The fact that he knew I even knew Jimmy surprised me. "Yah." I said unenthusiastically scratching the back of my back wondering where this was going.

"Well when you see him tell em' that Antonio is in town, and that I need em' for job. He should know where to find me." The man said before he gave his men orders to wait for him outside.

I stood there for a while until I made sense enough to sit in a chair by a woman in an all white strippers outfit consisting of a bra that glorified her awesome bust with panties and straps that could turn a queenie into a sex addict. She as smoking a joint that I had only seen in the mouths of the hardest smoking Bombers.

She approached me first, "Suppose you didn't come here for the pussy parade kid."

The comment almost made me blush but I kept me composure and said lightly, "Not exactly, my so called friend got me here, along with a mass murder charge and an assault to top it off."

"You're the kid from the radio. Willie right?" The woman asked now finished with her selected poison.

"Yah how did yah know?" I said answering my question.

It was then her face turned whiter than the powder could allow, "Empire Times says your body was found burned and cut up out in the waterside. Said they saw the remains spread out in broad daylight. If I was you I would get your ass out of here."

"H-how?" I said paralyzed with fear.

"Tell em' you gotta take a call downstairs and dash. If you need a place to stay go to this address, hon. I'll tell you my name later. Just run, don't look back." The woman said softly giving me a small piece of paper that I swiftly put in my slacks. I allowed myself to think that I might pull it off, start fresh, move somewhere like Lost Haven. Like that would be any safer, anything's better than here though. It was when I caught myself having my own mental conversation did I spot Vonnie walk up beside me. I didn't move.

"Willie, I'm sorry I got you into this but we found a way to get you out."

"I heard."

"How?" He asked a confused look washed over his face as he looked back to Antonio who was standing behind him.

"It was on fucking Empire Times. Me dead chopped up and thrown into the waterfront. I think I might recover from my lacerations in the next few days, or not." I said putting on a mock smile hearing a light giggle from behind.

"Don't worry about that man. I've got good news for you. I'm a made man now!" Vinnie said opening his arms out for a hug and I welcomed it. He was still not on the best of terms with me but at least we had been busted out for a reason.

"Oh and another thing the commission has come up with a name for you. Atrius Jones, you are 18, your father died in the war, and your mother committed suicide. You were born in Malta with constant back and forth trips to and from southern Sicily under British African transportation colonial laws and got here because you wanted to start anew. Got it?"

"Yup that'll get the broads every time. An orphan with a suicidal family."

"Look at least you'll be able to go to bars and clubs."

"The ones that'll let me in."

"Look there's one I can get you into. It's called Garden of Eden. People like Antonio go there all the time. We go there and I'll let you into the back. I'm sure the girls wouldn't mind. Plus all the made men I know respect you cause of your work with a guy named Jimmy."

There he went with that word again. Jimmy seemed to be the only thing that made me noticeable. That and all the murder and assault beefs, the fake death put a little spice in my life too. "Sure man, is the meeting in there over?"

"Nope but they said I was dismissed. I'll just tell Antonio here we will be going."

He did so and Antonio looked at him and then at me then nodded his head in my general direction. He then said as if it was a common thing, "Cut your hair first, we got a place in Little Italy. Rocco's Barbershop, Vonnie will get yah there."

I smirked and got to it. Vonnie and me walked out of the door and walked down the stairs until we got to the machine guy. He nodded at Vonnie only and we walked pass. Vonnie then shoed m something I had not expected. As we turned the corner out of the building that led to the front I saw more cars than ever parked on the side of the streets. The same people standing outside standing in practically the same places.

"So you got a taxi coming by or what?"

"No need for a taxi when you got your own car."

"How in the hell did you afford to buy a car?"

"I wasn't exactly sitting on my ass since we got out."

"So fuck all the suspense which one is it?"

"Right here." Vonnie said we walked by a four door car. It wasn't just any four door car it was a Cossak! It had a navy blue base color with a red top, and a supercharger sat at its hood. Small pellets of snow landed on it only adding to the beauty. This wasn't just any means of transportation; this was a signal of wealth and prosperity. Something that Vonnie couldn't spell weeks ago.

I got into it without question as Vonnie pulled out the keys to the car and started it with a jump. It seemed to lurch forward before it started to gain moderate speed as we went north to Little Italy.

In no less than 10 minutes we were there. We parked in front of a sandwich restaurant called Stella's Diner. I had seen it a few times but never went in; I needed a little Italian cooking in my life. Italians have already spiced it up enough; why not turn a bad situation into one that ends in Gyros. At least that's what made sense. Unfortunately I never got to go in.

Right beside was a newsstand aka my worst enemy at the time. The guy who worked there was screaming Italian words out into the crowd of people huddling near it. I figured it was more for warmth than for actual news. Nobody seemed to notice me but I still stayed close to that car after I got out. Vonnie had just started walking up the steps that led into an alley when a good bit of snow seemed to start falling and with covered eyes I followed him coming extremely close to slipping and falling. No doubt being the most idiotic way to blow cover.

The quick burst of snow settled down and I saw a sign that said Rocco's barbershop over a boarded up building. I was almost hopeful before I saw a barber's pole in the near distance. I almost had to shove my way through as crowds herded around the meat shop. One figure in all red interested me the most. He as looking at another guy with the same outfit and they were flanking the alleyway. Guess they were the ones that controlled this neighborhood.

Once I got in front of the store I saw a neon clippers sign and a board that through foggy glass window showed that the barber did short hair and long hair alike. Before I went in through the double door I looked in the alley. To my surprise no red suits.

I didn't let it bother me; they were probably extorting somebody or something. As I walked in the barber greeted me and showed me to a green seat to the far side of the room. There was nobody else in the barber shop but the barber, Vonnie, and me.

"A normal cut for you would be a two quarter." The man said holding out his hand.

I dug in my slack's pockets to pull out my recently purchased wallet. From it I got out two quarters and handed it to him. He motioned for me to sit and I did so. As I heard him run to get his supplies together behind he spoke.

"I hear one of your people has made it to the baseball league. Emmet, I think it was. It's good when someone like you get's fame." The old man said airily seeming to be talking about himself for the last part.

"Yeah, don't really watch baseball too much. I'm just waiting on them to show basketball on the television. I know somebody who went into the NBA, name's Jacob Rocker." I said before I felt the clippers start to cut at my nappy mild afro.

"Rocker, could of sworn I've heard that name before." The man said slowing down his clipping pace, to think Vonnie did nothing but sit there and look nervous.

Damn! I swore to myself wanting to slam a cola bottled right on my forehead. I was Atrius Jones not Willie Rocker, therefore it was impossible for me to know a star like my brother. No he could just be friends with the guy, knew him on the streets. That would be the story I would have came up with if the man wasn't staring me in the eyes, boggling all thoughts of a lie.

That's when I noticed a man in an all red suit like the others come into the store and take off his hat. The only difference was this one held a duffle bag. He looked back outside too, like he was waiting on something to follow him in. He sat down in the red seat farthest from Vonnie and sat there. I could tell the barber didn't like the man from the beginning as he didn't greet him or anything, for once the barber was silent.

"Well you're almost done right?" I said breaking the silence as my hair was half way finished.

"Yeah sonny what's your rush. I swear young children these days, don't know noth…"

His words were choked off when the man arose from his chair and unzip his bag to withdraw a shotgun. I froze in my seat and my fingers felt like they were going numb. The man cocked the gun and I secretly hoped that he was out to get Vonnie. Instead he pointed the gun straight at my face.

"Jasper, I gave your other buddies there monies yesterday I swear it!" The barber said holding up his hands dropping the clippers.

Right now he was glaring right at me, "Heard your friend just got made."

It took a few seconds but I managed to choke out the words, "Who's asking?"

The man laughed a little in some sort of maniacal way and said, "I am, and your friend has just sealed your fate."

There was a loud bang I saw a flash from my left and the top of my chair popped off. I heard a thud from behind me when I got up two things happened. The man with the shotgun found a bullet to the shoulder and was gripping one side of the wall. I looked from behind me and the old man was still, he was going to die soon, there was no helping him.

Vonnie had a gun in his hands. It wasn't any ole pea shooter it as a semi-automatic. One of them modern ones only professionals used. I definitely needed one of those. Instead I pulled out the magnum I'm surprised I got through security during the meeting. I heard screams from outside and without saying anything we went outside only to be rained on with living hell.

Except I doubted hell came in .45 ACP bullets. It was even scarier when I didn't know what the hell 45. ACP was. The bullets seemed to come from nowhere but everywhere, the snow spraying in all directions. It was only when we got fully outside did I see that it was coming from the two other red suits I had seen before. I made the first move. I shot a bullet near the one on the right side of the alley's foot and he jumped a slipping in the snow. A bullet hit a car and the crowd came just as quickly. That's when I made my move.

I got closer to one of the red suited guys who were looking over the crowd trying to find the right person to shoot at. He barely saw me coming as I ran up the corner of the alley way and buried a bullet right into the guys exposed ribcage. The other guy who was closer to Vonnie twisted around and as I started aiming for him a shot sounded behind him and he fell forward yelling in pain. A rush went to my head and I almost barely heard sirens coming in real close.

I turned around to see several policemen push the crowd out of their way to get to me. I ran past the downed red suit duo and patted the "in cover" Vonnie making him jump a little bit more than a little bit and told him over the commotion to put away his gun. He did as I said and we moved through the crowd with no one the wiser.

It was when I looked back did I see the red suit was following us. I grabbed Vinnie's hand and started to jog until I could make a right and I took it. "Run!"

Vonnie reacted before I even said it. We ran at full speed until we got to a gas station and whipped around the corner breathing like we were about to throw up a lung and a kidney. That's when I remembered the address the woman gave me. I didn't even remember her name.

I pulled out the note and showed it to Vonnie, "It's right down the street I tink'. It's this working girls apartment number. Don't get no funny ideas. Where there's a girl like that there's always a pimp."

"Whatever man, anything's better than here."


	4. Uncle Vincent

**Chapter IV: Uncle Vincent**

_March 16, 1952, Empire Bay, Sand Island_

"_This is a high risk business."_

_-Henry Tomasino_

I woke up feeling hungry as a vagrant and as high as a flag in July. The dope Jina provided must have been strong. Even hours later as I got out of bed I felt lightheaded, and walked with a loose abandoned. We had a hell of a night. It might have been thought that all us nigers did was get high and kill each other but this was only his first time getting high off the type of dope you inject.

Among the other crazy things we talked about last night she told me she was a prostitute. Great I figured two prostitutes as friends. Oh I forgot to mention, after we escaped the red suited men we ran to the woman who I had met above the Mona Lisa's house. The women listened to our story and let us spend the night. The next morning she shooed us out in fear that her heroine supplier/pimp might come home early. We ended up at my house for a few days until Vonnie decided that the heat had settled down and he should contact another "made man", a guy named Eddie he told me.

Since then he and Vonnie hadn't said a word. I had made it perfectly clear that I wasn't down for any more daring escapades. All I wanted as to be free of slaving away in front cock mouthed white guys who were as straight as a record line. For that at least I was thankful, the kindness Vonnie had showed to me was another perk, but none of it was worth getting iced over. The thought had boggled in my mind for a while but it was only after the barbershop incident did I set my mind.

Besides I hadn't set my allegiance, therefore nobody could say I quit because in reality I had never really started. The only Italian I had seen since the meeting was Antonio. I had only seen Albert and Vadic at Steak and Chops one day when I ran out of food and had to go out to eat. The two were talking to the owner before I had walked in and soon after I sat down they left.

The rest of my time away from all the chaos surrounding the Vinnie's pals was a sweet one. I had took some simple shipment moving jobs from Kenny that accumulated enough money to pay for the rent and a few extra things to make me feel better. Most of what I got I saved in a cabinet, to get a new car.

As my mind slipped back into reality I realized I had a job to do today. Kenny had ordered a new shipment and I was the DD. DD standing for Decency Director, Kenny was an infamous drunk and even more infamous smoker.

I whipped up a few eggs, put them in a pan and started to let them cook. While I waited I called Jina, once I had heard she had returned home safely I went back into the kitchen. Seeing that my omelet masterpiece was almost finished I got out a plate and set it on the "bar". I then grabbed the handle of the pan and flipped the cheesy breakfast on the plate and turned around to get a fork. By the time I had gotten seated the doorbell rang.

I didn't say a word. I went into my bedroom and slid my hands under my joker sized bed to find the revolver Jina gave me. Luckily I had grabbed the handle first and all I had to do as get my arm out of the death trap of a bed and get a firm grip. The doorbell kept ringing and with every ring, I got closer and closer to the door. I kept the chain lock on as I unlocked the bottom knob. I turned the door open slowly as far as it could go until the chain fastened.

It was Vonnie he wore the look of desperation on his face. "Willie good news. I need to talk to you about it privately though. Come on Will it can't wait."

"Sorry Willie Rocker is dead. Damn Shame." I said gripping the wooden handle of Jina's magnum as it was hidden behind my back.

"Seriously Willie there isn't any time. Our lives and careers are at state!"

"No Von **your** career is at stake. No matter how hard I try the mob is going to treat me like a nigger. You are going into your 20's in four months; it's time for you to make your own decisions!"

"Willie you're talking like my ma!"

"Maybe she was right. Ever since we almost got our brains spilled out at the barbers, ended up crippling one guy, putting the other one in a coma, and the leaving the witnesses to be taking care of by Davado I've been thinking. I don't want this anymore. Yeah it was fun while we were younger but now we need to look into colleges. Maybe getting a good job or something. A job that won't put us on the front pages."

"Ok then Willie. Call me crazy for getting sports cars in a few days with family compared to breaking my back for some labor union fuck. We have been doing all this for most of our lives and e can't our past. Please let me in, let me talk. If not for me then for Marty."

Those words kind of hit me. I never had actually looked for a job but I was sure most black men couldn't really find a good school. Even if they did it was a white man's world. At least the rich one's world. People like Vonnie weren't those people. They had as much to lose as me. So I let him in.

He took a few steps to the couch and sat down he put his hands on the table in front of him and grinned, "When did you get all of this?"

"I worked for it."

His grin flat lined and he pulled out a roll up of a map. As he rolled it out I recognized it as one of Empire Bay. "Well you remember Antonio right? The guy who told off Courtney."

"Yah sure what about him?"

"Well he is with the Scaletta Family. The man in charge, Don Scaletta was the one who wanted us to get out of the camp and the one who got me made. He changed your identity and helped me change mine."

"Waite how did he change yours."

"My name is Vinnie Knick Vabole now. I'm from southern Italy and have a complete passport to be here."

"Why did I have to change my whole name?"

"Because most of their identity change volunteers come from overseas. Not too many Willies over there."

"Ok but back to this Scaletta guy."

"Sure well from what Antonio tells me that the Don asked for control of Waterside Warehouse in Riverside, Midtown Suites in Midtown, the general area of Little Italy including the Lipari Warehouse, and Italia Hauling co., and the general area of Uptown." Vinnie said pointed out the areas that were either shaded black or circled.

"Hold up so if the Don controlled Little Italy then he sent the hit on us!"

"Well I asked Antonio about that and he said that the only opposition they have there is the Rossi. It's a group of guys who were loyal to some dead don named Gravina. There's another little group off at Oyster Bay who calls themselves the Azzuro. Same people but these guys just like to blow things up. The Rossi actually plan on attacking family members. Like us."

"Hold up you mean you right?"

"No man I told the commission that you were my personal associate. It only means that the family will protect you as long as you're with me."

"The more protection the better I guess." I said trying to be as cool as I could about the situation.

"Ok then back to the map well as I said the Azzuro like to hand around Oyster Bay even though technically that's Vinci territory. Oh by the way Vinci is an old timer. He is the oldest Don in empire Bay really. He is in control now since he has the most power and people. The southern docks have the most money anyway. That's why Vinci controls that area. Oh and I almost forgot, the Tongs run Chinatown with a iron fist. If your caught slinging or stealing big in their turf expect to be mauled. These bastards have no fear, fuck they'd kill somebody in the middle of Lincoln park if they had to."

"I thought the chinks were tree hugging tea sipping type cats."

"Let's just say they're not and since the Black Dragon war, the mob's war with the Tongs they're planning on getting stronger. That's not a good thing."

"What about Mr. Rivette you know him?"

"Yah he's one of Don Nichi guys. There the newest family they have made an alliance with the Bombers and Micks to share control of Sand island, Hunter's Point, and Kingston." Vonnie said circling the areas he was talking about.

"Seems pretty deep. You sure I'm supposed to know all this?"

"Sure, you're going to be helping me with a few of this stuff. Just figured you wanted to know. This…this life is new to me."

"You aren't alone Von. Look I…" The phone rang and I got up to answer it nodding my head to Vonnie to tell him that I wasn't finished.

"Jones residence."

"This is Isaac meet us at the regular place. There is a lot of money involved do not fail us. We are waiting." Then like always the phone went silent and I set it down.

"Vonnie. It's time for me to head out. Lock the bottom lock after I head out."

"K bud." Vonnie said as I walked to my closet to find my new black casual suit. Too hot for a tie, it would sit tight in my closet until winter.

"You like these guys Willie?" Vonnie asked as I went into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

"You really didn't give me a choice." I replied before I shut the door, undressed and hopped into the tub.

Minutes later I was fully dressed in a casual suit and was heading to the kitchen for my magnum. "What are you doing Vonnie?"

"Getting a swift." Vonnie said innocently holding up a swift cola in his hand.

Damn, I could have sworn Vonnie was trying to find my gun. Either I was too paranoid or I had stopped trusting Vonnie after the barber shop shooting. "Go ahead man."

I rushed over to the drawer and relaxed a little bit as I saw the gun. I grabbed it and locked it on to a thin shoulder holster I had bought from a street dealer a few days ago. It was part of my business suit now. I pulled on my collar a bit and called up Yellow Cab Taxi.

"You know the deal pip-squeak." The guard said as I walked up to the confiscation desk.

"Whatever." I said as I flipped my magnum out and let it lay on the table. I nodded at the two men and strolled into Bruno's Office. Jimmy was there of course. Isaac wasn't however Bruno was there instead, he was writing something when I came in.

"Hey kid, didn't tink' you'd be back." Jimmy said smiling before taking a long drag from his cigar.

"I was called."

"By who?"

"Isaac."

Bruno looked up from what he was writing on and Jimmy grinned a little. Bruno was the one who finally said, "Well I guess it'll be the two of you then."

"Sir!"

"You and Jimmy have gained quite a reputation after Mike's unfortunate accident. Some say you are his new protégé." Bruno said laughing as he put whatever he was writing on in his desk drawer.

The man's gleeful disposition changed at once when dim and silent Isaac showed up at the door and entered the back room without a word. "Back to business. As you may or may not know a very influential colored male has come into power through his carpeting business."

"Vincent. Vincent's Furniture and Carpeting, there are dozens of them around the Bay." I said jumping at the thought of a man of such valor being mentioned in a business talk.

"Although it is rude to interrupt you are right Atrius. The subject is one Mr. Vincent." Bruno said seriously, his use of my new name surprised me. A loan shark has to know something. "He has built his massive empire off of the backs of my money and our financial partner's hard work. Vinci had a group of button men talk to him and he shot them. He stole their weapons and clothes and sent them via box to our front door."

"Shit then why the hell are we suppose to try to get to him?"

"Because you're a professional Jimmy and you can handle it better than the ones before you did. This guy owes us more than he can pay and all the major families want his head. He thinks he is untouchable, show him different."

"Where is the guy?"

"Love the newfound spunk Big A. He's at his store in Oyster Bay. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw other hit men gunning at him. He unlike many other people is wanted, be safe." Isaac said coming out the back room with some sort of flare and pep.

Knowing Bruno was finished I got up and Jimmy followed, we were walking our way out the door. We heard Isaac and Bruno arguing as we walked down the stairs. I had never heard them raise their voices before. They all seemed so calm and quite. Arguing seemed like a lost art to them. Now it seemed to be very open.

Me and Jimmy got our guns back and decided we were going to walk to the place. We moved walked on the icy sidewalk to Vincent's Oyster Bay location. We got outside the store a half an hour later and stopped. "Jimmy you sure you wanna do this? We should think it over a bit."

"Atrius, I've lived this life for a while. Just pop him and go. I'll wait outside. It's your turn to earn your wings. Plus guys like me won't look natural in there." Jimmy said strictly as If he was a teacher. I noticed it was the first time race had came up. Younger kids were easier but old timers like him were usually ready to snap my neck. "Plus what Bruno says goes."

"So if Bruno didn't tell you to work for me you wouldn't?"I asked and Jimmy went silent.

"I heard you were the one who killed Judge Hill." I said curiously trying to heat up a conversation as we turned the corner off of Pallisade Street. Jimmy didn't answer.

After a few blocks of walking Jimmy asked, "So kid you killed people before right?"

"Why you wanna know?"

"Fuck it then. Just don't fuck up or it's my paycheck." Jimmy said harshly and I kind of slowed down. Jimmy as the monster I had thought he was. All he cared about was his end of the day pay.

We walked the rest of the way in silence. I saw the Vincent's sign and frowned. This as one of the most successful legal black guys in Empire bay and I was gonna shoot him down. What else could I do? I'm sure if I didn't a pre-paid bullet from jimmy was all I was gonna get.

When we got directly across from it Jimmy stopped. I walked passed him and I knew what I had to do. I felt for my gun, it was there. I went across the street in a hurry making sure not too many eyes were going my way. I stopped at the door. I counted to three in my head and went into the building.

Inside was different furniture. Ranging from elegant couches, to cheap plastic chairs Vincent's had it all. Surprisingly there were black and whites in the building, most of the whites consisting of down on their luck housewives who lived in the area. Everywhere I looked I didn't see anybody who looked like the Vincent I had seen in the magazines. If Jimmy wasn't out there I would have just given up and ran. Instead I went to the cashier to see if he knew any info.

"Hey is Mr. Vincent here?"

"What's it to you punk?" The dark brown man asked his temper showing up in his voice.

"I just want to see him, he is an Idol around here."

"He's not here kid now get lost."

"I know he's here."

The man lifted the bottom part of his white shirt and revealed a snub nosed pistol, "How would you know that son?"

"H-he's an idol here. The word has been getting out." I said attempting to fake fear.

"I'll be watching you. He's in the back room playing chess with his niece, like a little kid."

I nodded my head to the cashier and went to the back of the store drawing several looks from the customers around me. I had gotten used to it now, I was a fugitive and every step I took could be followed by the screech of a police's whistle. I didn't worry about it too much and knocked on the backroom's door. A teenage girl's voice answered it.

"Jina?" I asked knowing nobody could fill Jina's look and body.

"Will! What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"This is my uncle's store." She said and all the pieces started coming together. Vincent was Jina's Uncle.

"So... where is he?" I asked though I knew I wouldn't even be able to look at him straight, forget pulling the trigger.

"In here." She said as softly and she opened the door.

Inside I saw an old black man with thick glasses, green shirt, and suspenders. Why anyone would want to kill this man was beyond me. I casually felt around my gun strap as the man went on and one about some interaction at a bus stop. The smiled awkwardly at me and as quick as he formed his smile he broke it down into a bland and blank expression. Not blank with fear however but with great power. I felt a cold blow to the top of my head and I fell to floor, blacking out almost instantly, not without seeing tears coming down Jina's eyes.


	5. Atrius's Hut

**Chapter V: ****Atrius's**** Hut**

_April 2, 1952, Empire Bay, West Side _

_After one of Mr. Vincent's goons knocked me out cold the old man fled the city. The cashier called the police and Jimmy busted in grabbed me and dragged me into an alley. From there we hid from the cops until we could get to Misery Lane. That was the last day I saw either Jina or Jimmy at least for a little while. A week later Vonnie came by, seen if I was alright. I was so he left. Bout a day or two after that one of Bruno's goons beat me up real bad. Told me I owed Bruno a lot of money. Told me that if I didn't pay him in the next week he'll kill me. However another goon came by two days after that to tell me that if I just went to the this broke up shack in Westside called Guilio's Hut every day for a half of the year my debts would be paid in full. I did so and for the past few weeks that's all I have been doing. After the stand closed for the day a few of Nichi's guys came over to set me up for a few odd jobs. At this point I felt that most of these family's were just hustlers with strange names. _

"I'll have the news and some swift." A simple Irishman asked putting the exact amount of change on the table. I swept it in my hands and put it in the coin jar under the wooden booth. It was almost full. Was a good day today.

I grabbed a newspaper from ceiling of the medium sized vendor. I put under my arm and went into the cooler to get the swift. The glass bottle felt cool and my hand but I felt cooler as I slid the cola across the booth and into the white man's hands. Almost forgot it, but gave him the newspaper as well. Another happy customer I thought as the man walked away. If only this was all I did for Bruno.

About once or twice every hour a "special" customer would come by. The customer would say the name of one of Bruno's long list of associates. I would check the list Bruno gave me and the name the customer said matched then I would take that customer to the back or tell him or her to wait to the side. Once the customer traffic stopped I escorted the man or woman to the back and brought out a selection of different drugs.

Bruno's men had me stocked on everything imaginable heroine, morphine, cocaine, opium (a chink favorite), marijuana (a beatnik favorite), LSD, and a variety of high end tobacco products. The illegal business sect only suffered one incident in late March.

One day a dapper fellow went through the procedure of getting some dope. Told me the correct name of one of Bruno's associates and everything. I let him in around back. As soon as I showed the man the drugs he whipped out his pistol and revealed that he was a detective. I being only armed with a knife surrendered. It was when the dick went to call it in did I make a run for it.

Ran up three buildings and ran through six blocks via alleyway. I found the perfect corner and waited for the dick in disguise to catch up. I grabbed a trashed pipe and swung on the man. The guy went out cold and I disposed the man into a dumpster. Knowing it wouldn't be long before the man woke up screaming I went to the nearest phone and called Bruno. I had told him the whole situation.

A few weeks later the loan shark and business tycoon told me that my sentence working at the hut would be shortened to a quarter of a year. That meant I would be finished in mid June. Only a couple of months and some change and I would be free of my debt. I made a promise to myself though that Bruno would pay for sending people out to beat me up.

That episode however was the last of its type. Now I had a silenced 9mm and an old sedan. It was a 1938 Shubert Series AB, had a black colored body and a dark purple trim. The sedan had Dunniel spinners and basic tuning, probably one of the oldest and cheapest cars on the road. IT was my first car and it didn't take too long for me to be glad of the money I had worked for doing odd jobs. The sense of success didn't make me forget me of Vonnie's first car being a German sports car. It showed what the higher ups thought about me.

"Hey what's up?" A man said out of the blue and I raised my head to see a beatnik couple.

It was the perfect example of one. The man had blue jeans, with a blue and red checkered shirt, a pair of ankle boots, and a black beret. The woman who I had to look at more closely to see if what I was seeing was really there. She was beautiful if a little underdressed. She had on a leotard that displayed her physical features, flats, and an oversized Empire Bay Cannons jacket.

"Nothing what'cha gonna be getting?" I asked eyeing the beatnik broad generously. They only looked to be in college, not too older than me.

"The Antonio Rivette special. Name's George." The bongo holding man said smiling as he said it. I didn't have to look at the list; Mr. Rivette had been good to me since I started out.

"Got you around back." I said as I pulled the two wooden doors that opened the hut close. I went out to the back and felt the magnum in my pant's strap. There was no door just a ramp down to the parking lot that set the hut's background.

I got the two identically heavy suitcases with the samples of the different under the counter things I had to sell. Once I had it opened the guy and the broad were outside waiting. I opened the two cases and they looked at each of the packages hard. All of them were labeled.

The college boy pointed out the LSD, a Cuban Cigar, and the marijuana. "Those." The man said and the woman giggled in excitement. Damn Beatniks would be coming back for more later this week I was sure. Bruno told me to deal in small amounts so as not to cause too much attention and cause overdoses. Overdosed clients got police attention and that's something neither Bruno nor me wanted. I gave them their stuff and they paid me, everyone was happy and the couple left across the parking lot.

My watch read 7:30 and it was about to get dark so I decided to call it a day. I took off my apron, got my jacket, and took the suitcases and put them in my sedan. I looked over across the parking lot to see a German sports car roll on through. I smiled at the fact that Vonnie hadn't forgot about him. It made me smile even more when the car rolled by and Kenny was rolled down the passenger side window and with a million dollar smile.

"Hey son what's happenen'!" Kenny said getting out the car shaking his hand wildly. He had as dressed up a lot more than usual.

"Working, how's it been man?" Kenny asked expectantly and I couldn't lie to him.

"All I got to say is that wherever you work you workin' for the white man. That shop ova' der' be proof. How bout' you." I asked wondering how he was able to afford that suit.

"Your boy hooked me up with a few jobs and well here I am." Kenny said making all types of crazy movements with his hands.

"Speaking of which why are yall here?" I asked looking at the finely dressed duo awkwardly.

Vonnie answered this time, "Well we heard you've been working your ass off and all I see you doing is riding in an outdated sedan, wearing a working man's outfit, living in a small apartment, and serving damn hipster's!" He said and I felt a little stupid. We had been through a lot and I hadn't gotten shit of the deal. I noticed that Vonnie hadn't really answered my question.

"So what your cousin is a Don of course you have it better than me." I said looking at Vonnie knowing he meant good, still poor life was frustrating.

"Doesn't matter we are going to one of the best clubs around. Real fancy like so we are going to stop by Vangel's. It's called Babaro's Pleasure Palace or something like that. A lot of Spanish broads from what Kenny told me." Vonnie said most definitely tugging on the purple tie that held his business disguise together, might not be a disguise anymore seeing what car he was riding in.

"Sure but I thought Vangel's got burnt down." I said remembering how everybody was so worked up over it.

"That's the old one a new one was built a block away. Don't worry it's a Scaletta place you may even see the big man himself." Vonnie said patting me on the back.

Just as he said it I thought. It was strange that I worked for Italian families who leader I had never met. So much dangerous things I had delved into and I hadn't gotten the respect to see one of the Don's face to face. The farthest he got to the Don was when he started doing jobs for Mr. Rivette who was a capo.

In ways of respect he had earned it at least for Mr. Rivette, the bombers, and a few Mexican crews however he had failed that Vincent job. Probably was my big chance to seal the deal with the Italians his biggest customers. He had the chance to carry out his first hit. At the same time the man I was suppose to kill was a loved one of Jina. Life would have just been tougher if he struck without planning.

I needed to get respect and quick. Vonnie got it easy but I would have to work for it. Do something drastic, something dangerous, something important. As I started thinking about this I realized this was exactly what Vonnie was talking about, overworking myself.

"Let's get it then!"

We drove past traffic in a hurry and we got to Vangel's without incident. Believe it or not Vonnie was a well enough driver. We got there and there were all sorts of people around. Mostly men without their wives and a few men that looked like they were on their job. I asked Vonnie about it and he said they were Vinci's men reminding me that Vinci owned most of Empire bay.

After about ten minutes of looking I got myself a quit dapper outfit if I did say so myself. I had on a red top that barely managed to cover my now finely combed hair, bright one button jacket with small black polka dots, collard black shirt, bright red pants, and a pair of black shoes.

A few minutes later we were just entering the club. Vonnie told me that Don Scaletta owned both the front business and the whorehouse behind it. All three of us got in free due to Vonnie's status as a young soldato. For the next few hours we boned, smoked, and drank till we got tired of it. Then we repeated and repeated until we saw. That was until Vonnie noticed the consigliere of the Scaletta family come into the club. They talked for a while and me and Kenny left to drink. We smoked the best marijuana the club offered and were only roused out of our high when Vonnie dragged us out of the club. He was stumbling just as much as me. We decided that the Don Scaletta's consigliere who Vonnie had told me was named Michele should drive. Where we were headed was beyond me. Thought we were heading home. That was until I started noticing we were heading towards Guilio's hut, my hut!

I heard it before I saw it. People were screaming and running the direction our car was traveling. As we got closer I saw the flames coming from the hut. I screamed in anguish. Bruno wouldn't stay his hand this time. Tears started to roll and eye was about to jump out the car but Vonnie beat me to it. Michele stayed inside put pointed me out to the piano player under my feet. I grabbed the automatic and saw that it was fully loaded. At least it felt like it.

By the time I got out of the car Kenny was shooting with his shotgun and Vonnie with an automatic of his own. In my drunken haze I was barely able to see that the people who had burnt my business had on red bandanas and red overcoats. I fired of a whole clip and went back to the sedan Michele had driven us in. I grabbed to clips and put one in my pants. It was then did I realize I suffered to small bullet grazes on my leg. It barely showed in the red pants but with the adrenaline gone I could surely feel it. I looked in the driver's seat for Michele but he was across the street making calls. To the mafia sided police surely. If he didn't sent in a cleanup clew I would be fingered easily.

As I went stumbling back in the parking lot shootout. I saw a few Italians join in the conflict. Must have been some of Vonnie's friends, they sure as hell were my best of friends if they provided a few extra bodies for the gang that Vonnie remembered calling The Rosso to shoot at. The parking lot battle went on for another ten minutes before the remaining Rosso members got into a car and tried to flee the scene. With my car burned to a crisp I figured they won the battle. However Michele rolled a few inches beside me and told me to get in.

I did so and the skinny older man drove out the parking lot speeding after the fleeing arsonist. I buckled my seatbelt instinctively but cringed in pain when I saw I had another wound to my side. Coldness crept up my face and I shuddered. Michele silently gave me a bottle of liquid he motioned for me to dab it on my wounds. All the while he turned a sharp corner as the Rosso tried to lose them.

My shaking hands could hardly hold the bottle and I poured it all over myself. It spilled into my lap and onto my legs. It stung like a knife to the back but by the time they had started to catch up it had wore off and I didn't feel the pain anymore. Gladly the drunkenness had worn off due to the adrenaline rush and I had full control. The marijuana had a little effect but it only made me calmer in the crisis.

"What are you doing? Where are we going? Where's Vonnie?" I asked just as a bullet hit the fender.

"Your friends are cleaning your mess up, we are following these damn Rosso to their base. By the way shooting would be extremely helpful!" Michele said almost crashing into a Rosso and civilian car pileup. All I could think of was how many more they could take down.

I grabbed the tommy that I had put back under my legs and grabbed the clip out my pants. Luckily neither of them was wet. I loaded up and shot a few rounds out the window the shots shattered a Rosso car's side windshield and the car crashed into a telephone pole.

We kept this up until the last vehicle came extremely close into crashing into a bar in north millwood. I hoped out the car surprisingly the slinky figure that was Michele did too. He shot a few rounds of his rifle and it hit more than a few of the red clothed bastards. I blazed through and ended up somewhere near the side of the motel resembling bar. I remember it being called the drag strip. Small little joint for these guys to be holed up in. It was until the firing stopped did I go in knowing that if anything Michele had my back.

I went into the restaurant fully loaded. A head popped over the bar and I was a half second from firing but I saw the gray haired man and knew he was just a customer. I yanked the man over the bar and into my grasp. He yelled but I shushed him down and put my chopper at his back. I saw that there was a barricaded door with a guard pointing his gun at me standing in front of it.

"Stay right there!" The man said and I almost lost my composure.

"Rico?" I asked knowing that Mexican voice anywhere.

"Shut up chico. Come in quietly if you don't want any more deaths. Seen enough for today."

"Why? I trusted all of yall! Didn't know yall were Rosso. What the fuck is this?" I said raising my voice getting angrier by the second. Almost every week after work a few Mexicans would come by and ask if I could go with them to beat up a few guys this place. The next week it would be another place and some new people. Now these guys could be the cause of my death. By the hands of the law of America or the laws of the loan shark that had ties with anybody that called themselves a doer.

"Just let me through Rico I swear I won't be the first to shoot." I said looking at the teen with the utmost seriousness.

"Promise?"

"Promise." I said and the Mexican 19 year old stood away from the door and let me in. I could sense him behind me his gun not against me but for me. I had treated him with more respect than his superiors.

"Rico what are you doing?" The biggest man in the room who looked to be the leader asked Rico.

"Just doing what's right." Rico replied throwing down his gun down.

"Then tell your compadre to let go off the old whitie!" The commander yelled in my general direction and I let the old out of my awkward hostage hold. The fleeing old man was only then knocked out by Rico. Couldn't let the old man sing.

"So what now?" I said and the commander looked at me with disgust.

"You come in here and kill my men and ask what now? I could kill you were you stand." The commander yelled pointing out the two other men in the room.

"I could do the same." I answered quickly, the suited Mexican man laughed and relaxed a little.

"The kid says he could kill me? I've been to overseas and back and I'm supposed to be scared of some Negro working for some damn Italians?" The Mexican man said spitting on the ground between us. I found the courage to lower my fully automatic. It would be ready anytime I wanted it.

"Doesn't matter, It's just you and me right now. You leave Empire bay and no more blood will be spilled. You don't and it will be out of my hand. These Italians damn them will kidnap your wife, burn your houses, and spill your soldiers' on the streets. Or we could just settle it now. I don't call the Italians and you leave Empire Bay." I said exact in my wordings. I had seen some of these atrocities myself. The foreigner's face was no longer one of amusement. It was grim and melancholy, my words had hit home.

"I'm not sure if you're funny or stupid, but I'm not amused." The gang leader said in a low tone adjusting his position in his desk seat.

"Don't now how can I help you if you don't let me help me." I said and the man groaned and got up. I was about to raise my gun but I figured it would only make matter worse.

"Let me just clear this place of our things an…" The Mexican started but I stopped him.

"No sir. Your men took the liberty to burn my whole stash. Plus we earned this place." I said trying my best to not breath heavily, I was really into this right now; I had to keep my poker face on. The Mexican's guards raised their guns a little higher. Both of them had shotguns. One shot kill.

"If I am nothing I am a man of honor. You won this day. We will be back." The gang leader said signaling for his men took go with him to his car. I went out before them and told the still vigilant Michele that the fighting was over. The Mexicans drove off and Michele went with me to search through the building.

After thirty minutes or so of searching we almost gave up. That's when we felt a trap door under a table that said reserved. We flipped the table of the door like lining on the wood that budged only when you pressed on it. We found a latch on the edge of the lining and the trap door opened stairs that led down to darkness. I took the first step and felt around for a light switch. Instead I felt a string and pulled it. A small light bulb shined in the middle of the concrete room. Surrounding it was the biggest of illegal contraband I had ever seen.

Everything was here. From heroine to Tommy's just like the ones that I held in my hands. Michele patted my back and laughed, "Damn. Think this'll pay for the Guilo. If not I'll pay for your release myself."

I laughed to as I realized that this was that thing that would get me respect. This was big the only question was that what would they do next. I then realized that the police would be coming in any second. The Scaletta consigliere must have noticed my panic because he laid a calming hand on my shoulders and said, "It's okay we got at least an hour left to leave the scene. Have it all covered up with uptown police, until that hour rolls by."

"So what are we going to do with this stuff after I pay back Bruno." I asked Michele hoping the older man would know what to do.

"Well that's up to you. Most people call Negroes like you animals but I know better. I would say give the guns and this spot to Scaletta but that is bias. You pick who you want to give it to and I'll spread the word." The wise consigliere said looking at me earnestly.

Scaletta was the biggest option here. However I did have a lot of options here. The Boomers were with me till death but a crime scene later occupied by Negros would just a policeman's wet dream.

I could give it to the Nichi family. They were with me when I didn't even have a cent to my name. Their family was the nicest to me and they didn't try to kill me at every turn. They were my allies.

"Tell your Don that he can get five of the best guns here and can get served here anytime. However I want this building and the rest of this… mess to go to Don Nichi and my boy here, Rico." I said and as soon as it came out Rico smiled and beamed. He stood on the top of the steps proud.

I could sense that Michele didn't approve of my decision but he covered it up pretty well so I didn't pursue it. I knew that this was going to be the talk of the town now. At least I had a few cents to my name.


	6. Whack a Mole

**Chapter VI: Whack a Mole**

_May 13, 1952, Empire Bay, Sand Island_

_The Dragstrip went to Nichi like I said and Rico was the bar manager, at least the manager of the legal business. Don Nichi turned the trap door room into a gun smuggling stash. The Dragstrip also became a gambling and whorehouse. So much could be put in that place. It soon became a place that Mafioso's of all types could come together as partners of crime. After a few small skirmishes the Rosso left and things went quite. At least for most people. For me it just got better. Bruno forgave me and started giving me a few jobs some better than others. I got to work with people from all three families, even Vinci. I even got to work with Jimmy again. Jina and I met at this coffee shop. She forgave me and she decided to move in with me at my apartment. She provided me a portfolio and a list of the jobs I did and the one's I had already finished. She also called Vonnie a few times to get the scoop on what was going on with the Italians and other gangs. After everything got cleared up I got a personal gift from Don Nichi himself. I got an indigo Walter Hot Rod sport charged with chrome wheels, a few more guns to add to my armory, and few more contacts I could call just in case I was ever in trouble. On top of that I got the respect I wanted. I finally was getting by in Empire Bay._

"Will get up it's almost two. Business calls." Jina chimed out from the living room. I had no choice but to crawl my way out of bed. Smelled of cigarettes, figures, Jina slept there last night.

Their partnership was great so far. She had the decency to only bring her customers home on Wednesdays and Fridays. She had even persuaded me to contact the red headed prostitute I had met at the Commission meeting. Her name was Portia. A few negotiations and a little gun waving and I bought her. Seems the pimp didn't treat her right, she had all types of scars. Right now she was probably in Kingston right now. I told her I would pick her up at the Hill of Tara at 1 in the morning.

I had changed the apartment a little. The bed was a red one and the room was green. There was a lamp and a bedside table to hold it. The living room was green as well b and its rug matched. It had a couch, a chair, a radio, and a TV. Right now the Radio station was set to Delta radio and some amateur jazz band was performing. Mickey Mouse was on the TV, it was a re-run. I watched the figures go on about themselves for a while but soon got bored and went to the kitchen were Jina was.

"What's the business today?" I asked and smiled as I saw Jina had already cooked.

"Well all we got today is that someone wants to meet with you at Jo'Belle's coffee shack. I'm guess he or she doesn't want to just drink a little java and go home." Jina said and I piled the eggs, sausage, and bacon onto a slice bread and toped it with another.

"When does… he want to… meet?" I asked in between bites of my breakfast sandwich, a little cold but still delicious.

"He **or** she wants to meet you in two hours." Jina replied getting up from the table and going into the bathroom. I heard the shower go off and I decided it was best I just wait until a hour or so to get ready. Staying in my underpants for even a section of an afternoon was a blessing. Usually he was in the heat of his schedule by now.

I got to it just like I said an hour later. I had been watching the cartoons. The TV was in color and that made it even better. I had taken a shower after Jina and couldn't figure out what to wear. This could be anybody. A Mafioso would expect a trashy Negro. Anybody who wanted work done wouldn't care. A dressed man was a man who worried about his appearance.

I decided on a plaid button up shirt with jeans and dark brown dress boots. I had the plaid buttoned to the last three buttons leaving a little bit of my T-shirt, my own personal style. Wasn't too cold so I decided not to bring a jacket. Jina told me by and I walked down the stairs and got into my still somewhat new car. I got out of my parking space and started to get ready for who or what was waiting for him.

A few minutes later I was at Jo'Belle's coffee shack. The shop was in Uptown and had just recently been bought out by Niche. This was a very controversial move seeing that this was a contested area, Scaletta and Vinci being the main competitors. It had a French owner the name saying as much about it as it should. The place sold some French bread, coffee, muffins, and a few other things. There was a French flag above the door. At least I learned that much in tenth grade Geography.

I walked in looking around to see anybody I knew. I felt the newly purchased MAC MLE 1950. I had it specially ordered from Harry's shop. Just being made in France Harry told me, the old nut. As I looked around I saw a face I and seen plenty of types on business like this.

"Vadic!" I called out and in between blinks the man had stood up, obviously as ready as I was.

"Atrius. My friend, are you here for the bread?" The Russian asked as we embraced in a business type quick embrace. An embrace that Italians used among business partners all the time. Usually followed by a money exchange, an illegal act, or a cold steel knife to your back. I seen all three types of embraces but only experienced the prettier two.

With all ceremonies of kindness out of the way Vadic and I sat at the booth the farthest away from the street, you could never be too careful.

"Are you here to see Captain Perry?" Vadic asked and I nodded masking my surprise. Guesse Vadic had more information than me.

"Don Nichi told me I was to make sure you didn't fuck up." Vadic said and I already knew that this was going to be another do it myself job. A repeat of that Vincent job, at least a Nichi version and I'm sure if I really screwed up I might suffer a worse fate than working at a stand.

"No problem, I won't fail him." I said loyally hoping Vadic knew that I wasn't just any gun for hire, I really did like working for Nichi.

"I heard that you don't fail often. A few murders and arsons make word spread quickly. That line of crime isn't going to end with a pot of gold."Vadic said his Russian accident losing control at times and as he continued to talk about what he knew I began to lose the meaning of what he was saying. That was until the policeman came in.

He was shiny looking one. Couldn't be older than 30. Probably made his mind that he would go crooked before he started out. Good contacts were the ones that have been the same for their whole life. The ones that went through changes were the ones that would rat out your whole organization, at least that's what Antonio Rivette told me.

"Hey! Strange seeing you here Captain Perry." Vadic said putting on a half assed smile of surprise.

"Don't be stupid. I called you two here." The captain said and I saw that up close the man looked very angry, pissed off.

"You did? why?" Vadic asked a mask of conversational ignorance still present.

"I know about you. Both of you." The officer said sitting down and waving the waiter off.

"Know what?" The Russian asked no longer being confused, this was his business voice.

"I know enough boy." The captain said his arrogance ever-present.

"Oh? What do you know boy." Vadic said his voice now becoming sarcastic, damn didn't know this guy was too much more than a good shot.

"I know your deals with the Irish and Italian mafia. I know of your little extortion rackets. I know of your negro friend's run in with a man named Mickey Giovanni, his little barbershop shooting, and his Boomer, Latin crime family, and Mafia connection." The policeman said and my jaw dropped, thought the mafia covered my tracks better than this. The good thing about this was that the policeman didn't say anything about my real name and my little hut battle where more than a couple people died. If that got out he wouldn't have the protection of the mafia with him in court.

"I know that both of you aren't angels. Neither am I. Not everybody understands that everybody has a vice or three. One particular dickhead wants my head on a platter. He's meeting with a writer named Leon Doverman who works for the Empire Times. This writer is at this apartment over a tobacco store in Kingston, it's called Jordan's. He's supposed to meet this photographer at a pier in uptown. Don't know how the fuck you're gonna do it but I want both of those fucks to learn their lesson and my personal business in my hands. Vadic you have the rest of the information." The captain said and without another word he got up from the table and got into his deluxe model patrol car. Before we could get up the policeman was gone.

"We'll use my car." Vadic said directing me to his tangerine Lassiter Series 69, a little old but kept in good condition.

Everything went as it should have. The car started up and we headed out to Kingston, we decided to take out one target at a time. That way there was no chance of anybody getting away. Plus two to one sounded good any day.

It was around five thirty when we got to the apartment/tobacco shop. Took some time because the observatory was opening back up. I was surprised seeing as it was the end of the line for over twenty people and a mob boss. It was a big event regardless and it took some time to get through traffic.

Vadic got out the car first and I second. We decided to go in for the close and personal approach. Vadic was against it at first favoring a quick arson job but decided that who knew if the guy was there or if he had company. Vadic was the one who got the bats and threw one at me. I grabbed it and held it as non-threateningly as I could as we went through the side door. We looked at the row of mailboxes and saw Mr. Doverman in room 8.

We crept up the stair quietly bats casually at our sides. We saw the number golden number 8 on Mr. Doverman's door. I looked at Vadic and he looked at me. He made an expecting look with his eyes and I nodded to him. I backed up and watched the man kick the door open. The wood splintered and Vadic stormed in, me right on his tail.

We saw who we presumed was Mr. Doverman getting dressed and looking in his living room mirror. We charged forward Vadic took the first swing at the man's head. The man looked to still be in shock after his door got bashed in. That was until he got to the floor. By that time he was screaming at the top of his lungs. Vadic got the second and third hits, and by that time I was stomping and swing too. We kicked, swung, and threw the man all over his apartment before Vadic threw down his bat. With amazing strength the Russian grabbed Mr. Doverman's kitchen table and threw it at him.

With Mr. Doverman bloodied and somehow still conscious laid on the floor Vadic stomped on the man's legs breaking them. "Don't attempt to interfere with the law anymore." The Russian said and went into the man's bedroom. He came out with a suitcase and went right out the door. I followed and the hallway was crowded with people. Nobody was screaming everybody was just stunned. Blood was still on my bat and I gave everybody around me looks that wouldn't advise resistance.

We got out and we could hear the police behind us. We got into the car disappeared in seconds. A nigger and a Russian in Kingston, if we staid any longer we would stick out like a sore thumb. Next stop Uptown.

"This is your part. He should be the guy in the beige suit with a purple tie. He has to have a bag with him too. I'll be watching from here, run when you get the pictures. Here's your share of Mr. Doverman's money." Vadic said and he gave two stacks of green, all 50's. I hopped out of the car and walked as casually as I could towards the peir.

It was late by this time and the drunkies were out and about. Couples were kissing by the water and druggies were smoking right beside them. Me I fit right in, the guy was easily noticed. He was the only guys besides a few late night strollers that had a full suit on. The man himself was sitting on a bench. Right beside a lamplight. He was looking straight forward and seemed to be waiting patiently.

I took my time getting to him and even let him see me a few times. I had two extra Blues with me so I smoked them. That's when I took action, and bye action I mean that I was running low and was casually smoking my way towards the back of the man. I whipped out my hand dandy knife and moved quietly behind the photographer.

I made sure there was no noise. I checked my shadow and it was nowhere to be found. I leaped out and aimed the knife at the man's shoulder, not a kill shot but a hit nonetheless. The blow landed and the man's reflexes kicked in. He grabbed my arm and flipped me into the lamp light. I sent out of cry of pain as my hit the hard concrete. I recovered just in time to see the photographer's fist swinging towards me. However I couldn't stop it. I took the full force of the blow and landed back on the on the concrete. Blood came from my mouth and nose and I could taste defeat literally.

The next few blows I managed to evade or block. Every time I tried to get one of my hits in it was used against me. Ending in side blow or gut punch. A good ways into the lamplight brawl. I felt that the whole operation was about to go into the drain. All the preparation and planning were about to go to waste.

My mind state wasn't changed when the man roared, "Let's finish this.", and picked up the knife I dropped when I was slammed. Backed away slowly and at a seconds notice the man charged at me slashing my own knife across my chest. The strike left a petty wound but it stung like a nest full of angry hornets.

As I tried to evade another strike I fell down and landed next to the adjacent bench. The photographer jumped on me before I could recover and attempted to end my life. I stopped the blade cutting mines in the process. E struggled for power for a minute that felt like a lifetime. For a few seconds it felt like I was going to lose this one. But for some reason I gained a surge of power from this thought, I had too much to live for. I flipped the heavy man over but was unable to grab the knife without risking a slit throat.

I backed up and found an answer to the end of all this. A scotch bottle lay besides the bench and I grabbed it by the neck and before the man could get up I slammed the bottle right into the man's cheeks. The glass broke and blood ran down the man's face.

I felt the bottle in my hands and didn't know what to do next. The man had tried to kill him why should I let him live. Then again he wanted this to look like a late evening brawl not a planned murder. With that I grabbed the man's suitcase and ran.

I sprinted towards Vadic's car feeling triumphant. I would be home free soon. All this madness would be over. I could see the Russian's head by this time. My heart froze however when the car started driving out and in seconds had sped full speed out of sight. I was being betrayed, a sordid deal I thought. It didn't make sense why would Vadic leave when he saw that I had the pictures.

I heard the police sirens however and ran it didn't matter what had happened he had the stuff the policeman wanted. I was going to get paid and I had a few dollars to put into a new suit. This in mind I figured I would get out of sight, and then hail a taxi to take me to the coffee shop so I could drive myself to El Greco to get myself bandaged up. Then I could pick Portia up by one.

I had walked out of Greco's at midnight and knew I could make it to Kingston in time. The doc patched me up and sold me some clothes to make it look like I had just been on a normal midnight drive. The man gave me a casual suit consisting of a burgundy jacket a black shirt and some burgundy pants. Cost me a pretty penny but along with the bandaging and rushed treatment, he deserved it.

The guy had been through some busy times. Seeing as heat had been raised as the number of mobsters went down. The three mafia families were warring hard. Secretly but they were definitely warring. Small hits here and there. The gangs in Empire city were beginning to align themselves with certain families. That only meant more bloodshed and more work for poor old Greco with more work.

As I drove by the busy streets of Empire City I wondered how many small time gangsters wanted to be in my position. However if they got a little close they were slaughtered, so was life I guessed. So many people never even got out of Cuba, fewer got to where I was right now. Dealing with the Cosa Nostra and all that.

I could still remember my apartment in Cuba, a small little thing. Just my mom, dad, my brother, and me. We all spoke Spanish barely. I could still remember a phrase a two and if pressed I could hold a basic conversation.

As I got my way into Kingston I thought of how my older brother was doing. He was a NBA player and a pretty good one at that. He was played for the Palm City Steeds. The NBA paid well and last I heard he had moved into a nice house in the outskirts of the city. Last time I saw his face I was still in work boots and overalls. The memory of how that story ended made me shudder. I didn't have to think for it for long because I soon saw Portia outside the Victoria bar where she decided to wait for me.

As she walked to the car I knew she got a lot of business. She had on a red shirt that with a few of the top buttons pulled off giving little to be imagined and more to experience. She also had on a white short cut flowing skirt and a white heels. She was the perfect redhead and had on just the right amount of makeup, the spray on her hair was a little bit more than light and as she entered the car I could smell her perfume, wonderful.

"Portia. How was the day?" I asked as I pulled off. I had taken to call her Portia instead of broad or whore. The nicer you were to a nice person the nicer they were to you.

"The day went by gaily. A lot of customers today. Took the liberty to take me to their home. There was this…never mind." She said looking down at the last part. She was holding something from him, it looked important.

"What is it babe?" I asked as we turned as we cruised through Kingston. I held her shoulder affectionately, hoping to calm her down, she looked to be on the verge of tears.

"Nothing to worry you about." She replied and I could see it in her face, it showed plenty of reason for me to worry about.

"Portia." I said a little bit more stern than I wanted it to be.

"Just…You know the guy you took me from?" Portia said and I remembered it like it was yesterday.

Story was that before all this there were two other families called Clemente and Falcone. The Don Scaletta and a guy named Joe Barbero took both of them down. They both got into some deep shit with the Tongs. This caused a mob war and after Don Scaletta killed the mob boss of the Falcone family a few of Vinci's guys supposedly killed Joe and then somebody shot the consigliere of the Vinci family and a few guys from the Clemente family created the Gravina family and so on and so on.

After Joe's was removed from the picture a soldier from the now defunct Gravina family found Portia on the streets and took her in. He was good at the start but as his family started to crumble he started to get nervous. This nervousness and aggravation was turned on Portia who he beat on constantly.

One day Jina and me went over to visit. Jina had her minds on somebody else to help out on the rent. I mentioned Portia's name before and Jina insisted on meeting. We walked in on the man beating Portia and me and soldato got into it. A few of the people in his crew came in the room and me and Jina whipped out our guns. A few negotiations later and left one of the Italians with a bloody leg and left us with Portia.

"Yah Antonio or something. What about him; thought he went down with the rest of the family." I said now remembering all the facts.

"Yes but not all of his friends were with Gravina. A few of his Irish friends want revenge. They think you had some things to do with the death of their… damn friend. They… they came over by the bar and threw me down and kicked. Told me to 'get my nigger lovin' ass and my nigger sugar daddy back to from where yall came from.'" Jina said tears streaming down her eyes as she said it. We were almost out of Kingston when I heard the loud sound of a shotgun.

I saw the flash from the corner of my eye. I sped up instinctively seeing that the flash was on my right side. I ran the red light and turned left. I soon realized that the gunmen had been aiming for my wheels and he shot one out. My back one. I soon realized I had to speed up to the safest place that I could go. I checked behind me and I didn't see anybody chasing after me and went down to Little Italy, with reckless abandon.

Thirty minutes later Vonnie, a few of his Italian friends, Portia, and me were cramming into a Lassietier series 75 Hollywood. Vonnie's friends were smoking and Portia was right along with them, seeing if she could get some extra paper before the night was over with. Me I was hallway knocked out today was a long. I had almost forgot that I would have to confront Vadic tomorrow about his betrayal tomorrow.

It only took Vonnie twenty minutes to get a crew together. Portia knew where these guys hung out at. As we moved forward Vonnie didn't need to be told where to go. He had been to this hideout a few times both of us had. A few street fights were held down their when we were still small time.

Vonnie and me were all passionate about this. They way we figured it is that if anybody tried to test either of us then we would go in shooting, together. This time they had more than two guns. Vonnie was the only made man in the car but the other guys in the car were trained killers. They were gonna be made soon, real soon.

Vonnie had a shotgun, me a grease gun, Portia a pistol, and the rest of the guys had assorted choppers. It took thirty minutes to get to the train tracks the observatory opening was closing around this time. It was about two o'clock.

"You know you don't have to do this." Portia said as we were exiting the limo. Me and Vonnie turned around.

"You're my girl of course I'm doing this." I said and we moved out. The Italians started jogging towards the warehouse that the Irishmen were supposed to hiding out.

They shot at us first. Luckily it missed. The Italians' first shot didn't. I was trailing behind making sure Portia was alright until we went inside. As soon as we got close the warehouse door opened followed by a volley of chopper fire. One of the Italians went down but other than that we were straight. As few minutes of cover fire and we stormed in. Another Italian went down for every Italian that went down 10 Irishmen died.

I shot a few down myself, the grease gun allowing me a certain control that a tommy wouldn't it jammed once as I was firing and as I tried to fix it Vonnie had my back. We made a pretty good team if I did say so myself. It took almost half an hour until all the Irishmen were either dead or unconscious.

However after a few minutes of searching we found a barricaded door and eventually the remaining Italians busted down the door. Inside was an Irishman. He was hanging from the ceiling and I dropped my gun. Damn the luck of the irish. The guy must have heard us coming, would rather kill himself than get killed by us. Me and Vonnie decided to never talk about it again. We cut down the body and made sure he was dead. We looked around a little more and found a hidden sitting room where 10 women were sitting looking scared out their minds. They told us the men outside told them to stay there until the shooting stopped, they were whores. There was also money stored into a safe. We escorted the women outside and we split the money up. I sent three of the girls with the Vonnie and the remaining Italians, they were younger than me.

The other seven and Jina went with me to a nearby hotel. I rented two rooms. Four stayed in each room. Jina had sought to thank me for fighting for her and we slept together. We both wanted to test the cleanest women. It only got worse when we brought them home.

* * *

**STELM: _Portia is Joe's girl from the original Mafia II. Vadic is modeled after Niko. Read and Review as always! _**


	7. Shooting with the Stars

**Chapter VII: Shooting with Stars**

_June 8, 1952, Empire Bay, Sand Island_

_After staying at the hotel for a day I rented a van and got all the whores to their new home. My ride was there too, fixed up and neon green with red hubcaps, it looked better than it sounded. It didn't take too long for me to realize that I had to buy out the building to hold all my new… roommates. The property was old but the landlord was still stubborn to give his property to a nigger. A visit from Kenny and Vonnie, and the property was given to me, a quarter of the cost he put forth originally. I paid it and the place was mind. For a week I stayed home sorting out how business was going to work. Finally I decided that I couldn't sit home for too long. So I fished out Chucky. Found out some type of way that he lost his mom and his house. He was homeless. So needing a friend I could trust and a smart one at that I hired Chucky to handle the papers and calls. With him and Jina at home I was able to confront Vadic. He had explained to me that he did it to trail the police from me and not to screw me over. Later that week we gave the photos to the captain and received a handsome amount of money. Me and Vonnie were closer than ever, Jina was able to get off the street, Vonnie helped me avoid the draft, and the prostitution business was doing good, a smooth sailing through the start of the summer. _

I awoke sober and ready. The girls and me had a little fun last evening, I took them out to eat, they hadn't been anywhere in a long time. We weren't alone, Captain Perry, Vonnie, Kenny, and Vadic were all there, Vonnie called it a success diner. We didn't drink too much because I knew I had a job in the morning. A big one. Finally I was going to meet the notorious Don Nichi. I knew a little bit about it, it was a head hunt. Most of the other people that were hired for this mission were random street boys or small time criminals. All in search for one man.

The other details I would learn from Don Nichi. Had to wear something special for this. First I had to get out the bed. Jina got used to sleeping in the same bed as me and I let her. She controlled most of my business anyway. Chucky was downstairs with the other girls, in any of the four rooms. The top one was the oldest. The rest had been renovated sometime after the war.

As I tried to ease out of the bed Jina caught me. "Where you going?" She asked sleepily rolling over.

"Too meet someone." I said hoping she didn't press on, but you know women.

"A special someone?" She asked curiously no looking at me with interest.

"You could say that. It's Don Nichi." I said and she gasped mockingly.

"I guess I'm not invited to this little meeting of the minds." She said getting up now so we see each other eye to eye, at least somewhat. She was half naked and knew that at this position she could turn the tides of the conversation, she was a smart one.

"He's just hiring me for another job." I said and she threw her hands up.

"Right. Just get back alive will you?" She said looking at me seriously.

"Yah I'll try." I said and I went off to my closet to find my best suit.

I ended up choosing a tailored orange jacket, with a white shirt, orange pants, orange hat, and white buck shoes. I walked outside my apartment building with a sort of swagger, this was my day. It was warm outside too. I got in my car turned the ignition on and drove out to Cilano Fine Meats in Little Italy.

About thirty minutes later I as outside the Cilano Fine Meats store. I looked both ways before crossing, wouldn't want to be so close to meeting the don then get ran over. Walking across the street successfully I beamed; I was finally going to see who I was working for, for the last few months.

Once I entered the door I knew this was not any normal day for the shop. Everybody in the store looked in my direction. Italian's mostly but I could see some Irish and Mexicans sitting down, probably for the same reason I was.

"Are you here for the Thursday Day two slices for the price of one sale?" A guy who was manning the cash register said obviously practiced and staged. I was told via courier message that I was suppose to say…

"Nope just the Grubbin Lovin' special no salt more sugar." I said quietly knowing that I had said the code right and that this was my key to seeing the Don. I knew this would sound ridiculous to anybody who didn't know what was going on.

"Please go into the office room over there, for further transactions." The register man said pointing towards the door to his right. People all around the room were looking at me; I could feel their stares burning through my back. I went into the room the register man pointed anyway.

Inside as a small office area. Inside was a man dressed in a purple suit. He was buff and had beady eyes. He had on a black tie and horn rimmed glasses. He sat looking aggravated in his desk. Hundreds of papers and files were piled on his desk. The man I met at the commission meeting, Casket was beside him. Dapper and calm with a sawed of shotgun in hand. The Don was writing something when I came in. He looked up at me and I saw his full face.

He was a middle aged man and had with a long face. He seemed to have had a lot of pimples when he was a kid because he had holes all over his face. He had thick eyebrows and a roughly shaved beard.

"Godfather." I said kissing the Don's hand as he held it out, so was Sicilian tradition. At least that's what Vonnie told me.

"So this is the infamous Dragstrip Bandit, the Train Track Marauder, the Coal Mine Killer, and the Uptown Brawler. Jack of many trades but master of none. The guy up in coming associate that everybody wants to have on their team." The mob boss said proudly his mood softening motioning for me to sit down, and I had no choice but to oblige. The only think that concerned me was that the man knew about the coal mine. It made me feel proud that the Don had so much pride in me.

"Yes Don Nichi." I said and the nodded. I was glad I pronounced it correctly.

"Listen there are evil men in Empire Bay. I'm one of them don't be mistaken but I have honor. One thing these low lives don't have. You have over earned my respect. Trust me if you do this thing for me you will be under my protection. Your color may not let you be entered into my family but you will be respected by all who respect me, as an enforcer. A position not to be taken lightly. Some of the most notorious Italians never get farther than that." The Don said his face now grim and solemn. Not mad but definitely not in the mood to play ball. Casket also stiffened up at this dialog, he had obviously not been informed.

"What s this thing Godfather?" I asked as strongly as I could. Strength was respected by these type Italian's I learned that the hard way.

"As you may or may not know I am the faithful husband of a very famous actor, Anabella Nichi. She is a master at her art. A master of arts always attracts jealousy. A lot of these feeling of jealousy are expressed in slander speeches and maybe a protest or two, this…this recent expression is how you say unacceptable. The guys name is Gord F. Varsey; to put it plainly this man needs to be taught a lesson, one he won't be able to preach." The Don said his voice seeming to get hoarse, as if he had been screaming earlier.

"You want this guy rubbed out?" I asked knowing what the answer was before I said it.

"No. I want you to give him a big goddamn hug!" The Don said loudly slamming his fist into the desk but just as quickly regaining his composure, "Yes I want you to kill him. Shot him in the leg and wait till he's close to death then blow his brains out, or maybe throw him in front of a moving train, don't give a fuck how you do it just make sure he isn't still breathing. You'll try the Insurance Company on Falcon Drive first then the old gymnasium on Top Street second, if he's not in either come find me." The Italian man said motioning for me to leave his presence.

"You're not going to be short handed for this Atrius. I have a brown car filled with heat and a group of a few hired help waiting for you outside. You lead them. Trust you more than these other bastards. Don't fail me." Don Nichi said solemnly and I left, the people in the waiting area were all looking at me as if they didn't expect for me to come out of their alive.

I walked outside and saw the car waiting for me. Inside were three white men and a Mexican, it was obvious color didn't matter to the Don. The guy in the driver's seat nodded his head I recognized him. The man's name was Daniel. He was an Irishman and me and him were hired by Scaletta to beat up a gang of teen's who had stole a car belonging to the Scaletta family., good times.

"Hello old friend." Daniel said holding out his hand as I got into the passenger seat.

I shook it and said, "Nice to see a face I remember. What brings you here?"

"A little birdie told me about it. The real question is how did you get the commanding position over me?" The man of his mid 30's said with a laugh.

"Been working with the Don for a while. Says he trust me. Doesn't trust me enough to tell me any details, what exactly has this guy done to get the Don pissed?" I asked as we pulled off.

"You didn't read about it? It was on the cover. Killer B found in totaled car protruding out of a billboard. Right outside a police station. Somehow Nichii it is sure it's Gordy. Doesn't matter as long as those Italians are happy and I get paid." Daniel said complacently.

"Was she dead?" I asked hoping not to have to attend an Italian funeral; nothing good came out of them.

"If she was dead I put money that Nichi would have killed the fuck himself. No, the guy drugged the old broad and put a cement block on the gas. Drove right off a cliff." Daniel said turning up the radio, some big band was playing on Empire Classic.

"Heard the police are all over it." The Mexican in the back said and the guy beside him answered.

"Hell yah the hacks are all over, they love to put a good story in the papers." The man said confident and resentful.

"What does this Gordy guy have against the Don anyway?" I asked to anyone who would answer.

"Doesn't have a matter with Nichi, just his wife. See she was supposed to be in one of this guy's movies. Gordy pulled on the deal for a younger actress. To sum it all up Ole Bella set the guy up with some schoolgirl. She captured it on film and was willing to give it to the press. Would have ruined him. So he tried to handle both of the problems at once. Now it's gonna cost him his life." Another man said smartly laying back coolly as they rode on towards the insurance company.

A few minutes later we were posted up parked in the insurance company. There gun's were ready and everything. Everybody had an automatic except Daniel, he preferred his shotgun. We were there without incident for around 15 minutes until a man came outside with his hands up in the air. Obviously he was frustrated.

"What the hell are you goons doing her? Nothing for you here!" A stubby short man said and the crew and I went out to meet him.

"Has a man named Gordy F. Varsey been here?" Daniel asked our guns told the man we meant business and the guy didn't say another word for a few seconds. That was until Daniel gave him a look that would make the devil screech.

"He…left a few minutes before you all came." The man said and I could tell Daniel was about to say something, but was interrupted by a red car that came blasting its way into the parking lot stopping right in front of them. Naturally the guns for hire raised their guns.

The guys who came out the car did the same thing. They had shotguns and pistols, a lot more effective close range. I noticed they were finely dressed. I knew Nichi had other people gunning for Gordy but these guys, they didn't look the part.

"You boy's for Nichi?"The man who had came from the driver's seat said. He looked firm and absolute.

"Yah." The Mexican said confidently.

With the tense of a tendon the Mexican had a bullet in between the eyes. A half second later the man who came from the driver seat was torn up by Daniels blast. We went into cover then hoping to outsmart the odd enemy. We lost another guy before we got into cover. Leaving three more of us. The short and stubby man was nowhere in sight as the shootout went on. I had one good hit one the fatty part of my leg. It was only a scrape; I had many of them in the past. I emptied a clip and as soon as it started it ended. I felt the rush of a few kills. As soon as that rush registered it was replaced by panic.

The sound of police sirens filled the air as I saw several police men reveal themselves from hiding. They were waiting this whole time. To see what we were going to do. Those dressed up fucks were probably detectives, they were probably wired too. If any of us got caught we would be sentenced life easy.

The police force brought on a maelstrom of bullets ripping through the third man. Leaving only me and Daniel. Our car was getting ripped up in the process. I made sure to aim for the legs. Wouldn't want to be branded as a cop killer among everything else. Daniel took the risk to try to fire more than one round at a time and got hit. I saw it with my own eyes. Several burst of blood around the Irishman's legs and stomach.

The man shrieked in pain. I fired until I ran out of ammo and did my best to gently place the injured Irishman into the car while staying in cover. I made my way into the driver's seat my head low. It was a miracle the bullets didn't pierce through the doors. If they did I would have been brained before I could turn on the ignition.

My head still lo I managed to get out of the parking lot. I remembered it, the gymnasium was the next place to go. Staying steady was a surprising feat in itself. The tires were busted and It was only till I got a few meters or so up the road did I dare to raise my head. Daniel was screaming in the back. The car was close to being totaled and with a few more hit's we were finished.

A few minutes of driving and Daniel's yelling had stopped. He was dead and I knew it. Just by a whisper of fate did the car break down at the same time. I got out with a chopper and ran as fast as I could. By one great strike of luck the police weren't following me.

I soon found out however that they were just waiting for me. I saw them before I heard their shouts for me to surrender. There were flashing lights and the release of spikes. I stopped right there. There were two cars and eight policemen.

It was then did I think about my actions. So much had I gotten away with. Drug deals, murders, assaults, theft, burglary, and even pimping. Now the law had me covered. They took down Daniel and they could take down me. All I had with me was a Tommy I grabbed from the car and my pistol.

So as I walked to them I had my tommy lowered. If they fired at me I would fire back. That was what I was up against. I could already see that I was going to die here. I could see it now. Black pimp found dead, cops find out about his other criminal endeavors, Mafia Bust! The setting sun and the police lights made what the policemen were doing a little bit hard to see.

I was around 4 meters away when I heard a loud gunshot strike a policeman and he fell over dead. The strange thing was that I wasn't the one firing. The policemen looked all around and a few seconds later three more were dead. The remaining four started firing at a low rooftop but were eventually killed as well. I walked towards the brick building as soon as I got closed a man emerged out of cover and jumped over the ledge. Before he even hit the ground I knew who it was. Jimmy.

"What brings a schoolboy like you out here?" The older man said smiling as he slid his rifle into his back strap. He had on a striped dark purple vest with suspenders, a white shirt, and a dark purple pair of pants. I would say he looked quit dapper if he hadn't just murdered two squads of policemen.

"Gordy. You?" I said deciding to keep it short, who knows when the backup would come.

"Then we are going for the same person. My car is in that alley. Looks like you'll have to tag along. Don't try to hold me down." Jimmy said crisply running to his car in a calm and completely ordinary way.

It didn't take five minutes for us to get to the old gymnasium. Jimmy's futura and his reckless driving made that more than possible. The car however didn't get a scratch. The button man exited his car and turned to me.

"Whatever happens here stays here okay?" Jimmy said strictly, his rifle in his hands. It was then did I remember the night were Jimmy broke my seal of somewhat innocent. The day I started working for Bruno, a man I only worked with once after the hut incident. Since then it felt like so much had happened.

I had killed, robbed, and beat up people now. Jimmy cutting off the indebted man's finger was child's play now in only a few months I had been doing what I could never imagine doing even a few months ago, and somehow I was still here. Not in a gas chamber, jail cell serving life, or a coffin.

As we ran through alleys and side streets I could only help but wonder what Jimmy was doing. I finally got the chance as Jimmy stopped in the middle of an alleyway.

"Jimmy… you… never told me… why you were here." I asked through gasps of breaths, it took a lot to keep up with the middle aged man.

"Let's just say that Killer B is an earned name." Jimmy said evenly as if he hadn't broken a sweat.

"Really, so I guess you're… going to kill the guy right." I asked hoping to gain a few seconds more of rest.

"Seems like that. Don't know what the guy will be up to. Have to catch him before he hears of your evening shootout in the front of a damn insurance company." Jimmy said annoyed, as if he hadn't killed two squads of policeman.

We continued on from there. Several thoughts were swirling through my mind. It was only the two of us. What if the guy had a legion of goons with him? Would this be my final day? As he ran out the alley I prayed against it. As we arrived I saw something that was never thought of before I accepted the Don's hit.

A small crowd surrounded the gymnasium. A few people were running to tell others. I still had a Tommy in my hands and Jimmy had his rifle. As I looked around I could see an auto gyro circling the gymnasium trying to land. It was pretty high up but I knew it wouldn't take long. I could hear the shouts from the crowd, they thought it was a stunt, that was until Jimmy and me pushed through them with our weapons ready. They ran in terror and as the noise died down me and Jimmy came up with a plan.

"Ok Wil…Atrius, need to stop him whatever you don't let that little flying piece of shit mess up our paycheck. I'll stay down here and try to take a shot but you need to get the guy in the right position first." Jimmy said looking up at the sky; I figured he was working the plan out in his mind.

"Gotcha. Don't miss." I said laughing grimly as I dashed into the gymnasium. It was an old thing. Had a boxing stage, a section that still had weights tagged on it and an empty swimming pool. Rats had infested the former fitness center. After looking around for a way up I found a ladder that had been thrown on the floor. The man obviously wasn't planning on coming back now. I put the ladder right beside a broken window.

As I climbed I did my best not to look down. It would only worsen the situation. My Tommy was in my pants and was unloaded. The clips were in the back of my pants. It was safe to say that this was my most uncomfortable climb, I thought through it though. The gyro was probably close by now. This thought made me go up the ladder a little faster. I couldn't go through all of this and let it go to waste. As I got through the broken windshield me heart skipped a beat. The gyro pilot was getting Gordy into the flying vehicle.

The scumbag had on a beige suit and a hat. He was struggling to get into the vehicle and the pilot was yelling. I tried to reload but my gun jammed. I let a few shot go when I un-jammed it and one hit side of the gyro.

The shot only encouraged the man to get into the gyro. A few seconds and he had it. As the pilot got into the pilot seat I tossed the Tommy and prayed that me and Atrius's fingerprint's weren't at all similar.

I made a dash to the aerial vehicle as it was reading itself to lift off. The wind was in full effect and if the gyro didn't lift off in the next minute it would surely crash. That would be nice I thought, but it wasn't that easy. I was only a few meters away when the gyro got a few feet of elevation; I could see the scumbag yelling at the pilot his face was cherry red. I grabbed onto the landing skids and the wind took in full effect.

I could feel the sense of pure fear as the gyro gained elevation. I looked down immediately and saw jimmy and a mess of running civilians. Jimmy was in the streets shooting at the gyro as we started to struggle our way down the street. This was the first time I heard Gordy's voice. "Shoot him!" I heard and a second later a bullet went out the belly of the vehicle. I almost dies then and there. One of my hands let go and the vehicle leaned dangerously to the left. We almost hit a building. I managed to hold on and God managed to save me from the cold death of a bullet to the face.

It was when the gyro made a turn did feel the gyro to the right a little bit more than expected. I heard the pilot scream and the scumbag curse. The gyro corrected itself and I gained the strength and the balls to climb up. As I tried to get up I was met with the dead body of the pilot. I put hands back on the landing skids once again. But this time I grabbed onto the (former) pilot's side.

With extreme difficulty I got out my pistol. The cold of being so high in the air scared the hell out of me and I was on the verge of tears. I had the gun in one hand and the landing skid in the other. I then put my right foot on the other landing skid and the other on the pilot's side. Managed to balance through the scumbag's shoddy pilot work. Fearing for my life I shot four bullets at where I figured this Gordy bitch was at. The shriek of pain confirmed it. My feelings of rejoice were cut short as we neared a diner. The gyro lowered itself and I could see the diner getting closer and closer.

The gyro turned and twisted before I crashed into the diner. I felt the glass cut at my body. The screams were deafening and as I landing on a wooden table I felt it splinter. I tried to see through the smoke but I couldn't I saw a fire out in the streets. An explosion rocked the diner and I felt that there was no hope after this. Hope I did the Don proud. Wonder if he would come to my funeral I thought as I started suffering from chills. Blood was all over me. My vision blurred for a second until I saw a figure through the smoke.

I thought it was the police for a second, ready to hall me off to jail for the rest of my life. Then I saw the shine of suspenders and preformed what I could muster up as a smile. Tears continued to burst in large amounts from my eyes. The hitman didn't say a word as he lifted me up the pain devastating through my body. He carried me out to his car; I was getting blood all over the passenger seat.

"We going to Greco?" I asked hoarsely.

"Don't know but I do know we are getting the hell out of here!" Jimmy said and the car whizzed pass cars, stores, police everything. If I survived this I would go pray to God every day before I went to sleep, I would stop all this violence. If I didn't do anything else I wasn't going to be an idiot like I was today, I had to do better than this. Then, I went in and out of consciousness as we quickly left Empire Bay.

* * *

**STELM: _OK this is the extent of what I have completed recently. The rest will be more gradual. This was inspired by the L.A. Noire mission rubbing shoulders with the stars or something like that. The title being stolen from the Dancing with the Stars television series._**


	8. A New Country

**Chapter VIII: A New Country**

_November 28, 1953, North Korea, Old Shavy UN Outpost_

_A day later I had finally came through. We were in a city called Lost Haven. Jimmy had me taken to one of the best underground doctors there. My wounds wee healed and the money was sent to our hotel a few days after that. We stayed there for about half a month. When we came back me and Jimmy split up going our separate ways again. It was only when I got home did I see that I was being drafted to go to Korea. I tried to get Vonnie's help but he told me the letter came a week ago, too late. So I did my time in the mud. Basic training had to be the worst experience of my life. The doctors checked out one last time before they sent me via plane to fight the commi army. Told me I was with the 45__th__ division, 179__th__ regiment in that order or another. My captain told me himself that I better not fuck up; there were only 21 black guys in my regiment. We were called the thunderbirds. We earned it too; we were on the front lines while thousands of other soldiers were waiting to take out places hundreds of miles back. We suffered a few attacks here and there but things were fine. I was on patrol when two damn companies of Chinese bastards rained down on us. Only a few of us made it out alive. Took me to the doctor for a few days then shipped me right back out. They joked that I as weak when I got sent to the doc again for witnessing the death of half my squad during a counter operation. I got reassigned to another front line squad, all Italian's. Ironic ain't it. No matter where I went I was surrounded by the bastards._

"Private Jones! Get your ass over here." My sergeant yelled though there wasn't too much action this week. A few infiltrators and reach snipers but other than that it was stale.

People back home called this the great stalemate. Nobody who came back would get the love that the WWII vets got. At least we got more action than the thousands of reserves the guys that the US of A had if we went down. Our platoon leader told us this was as close to the front lines as we were gonna get. Unless we got order's otherwise.

I heard WWII was a thousand times more deadly. Hundreds of thousands of men dying a day. Bombs blowing up trenches and such. The people at basic training had taught me about that type of stuff.

Seems like so long ago did I attack the very people I was working for now. The attacks against police and other types of security. Shootouts against other American's seemed treasonous to me. All I wanted to do now was live safely a few more days. I had prayed every night to live another day in silence. The silence would be good for my recovery. Two damn times did I have to go to the doctor for seeing more action than half of my squad, who all were older than me. We had two WWII vets and of course they were the best of us. They were the ones who could handle stuff like that. Me… I don't think I was made for it.

I reported to my sergeant and he told me I was on guard duty against. Wanted me to patrol the perimeter around the several outposts we had built in the last few days. Small little post on the side of a hill that gave us a nice view of the land we were fighting for. There was a medium sized Korean village that was under U.S. jurisdiction. The higher ups let us drive our jeeps there and drink at this one bar made for us. A little respect for protecting them from the commi army that knew no prisoners, at least that's what we told them.

I had gone there a few times and met this woman. From what I learned she hadn't been married and wanted to go to college after the war. She was 23 and had a pretty figure. I had snuck out more than once to go and see her. I had to do something to relieve myself of the stress I was under, that thing was her.

"So you think we gonna get some action this week?" One of my squad mates asked as we started the walk down the trail that went through most of what our regiment patrolled.

I didn't answer, most of the times it was just met by a racist remark. Negroes weren't treated to straight in the army. We would kill for our fellow soldiers but not get all those fancy ribbons that someone who hid in a hole for a day would get.

"Seems quite if you ask me." One of the vets answered, his wisdom practically pouring off him, or so he thought. Me I thought he was a dumb bastard who thought he knew everything.

"I don't know I could have sworn I saw a something move out the corner of my eyes a few minutes ago." I said trying to put my two cents in. I regretted it as soon as I said it.

"Must be your brain fucking with you. We all know you colored folk ain't prepared for no real warfare." The vet retorted still walking in formation as the look on his face turned into wide grin. He won over me today and he knew it, but I would get mine one of these days. I did however get a few sympathetic looks from a good portion of the Italians that weren't complete buttholes.

We walked in boredom for a mile or two. Nobody said anything and I was forced to think my way through the silence. All I could think about was home. Wondered if Vonnie got his rank up. Wondered if the families are getting along nicely. Wondered if Chucky was taking good care of my ladies.

The thought of my ladies made me think of Portia and Jina. Portia with her mature flawless skin, her tight ass and soft knockers sent me on a craze. Then there was Jina. Her large bottom was something to be praised and her bust was too good to be true. I spent more time with Jina then Portia but I took responsibility to test them both out before I put them to work out on the street.

I felt a bulge in my pants but couldn't control it; the thoughts were sending me on a craze. Then I thought about Ming (the Asian girl I was talking about). She had a mix of both. She was one freaky broad too. It was like she'd be in control half the time. It pleasured me anyway. The thought of a continuing relation intrigued me. I wonder how she would be out in the streets of Empire Bay.

The bulge got bigger and bigger as the constant movement of my legs went on. The tight fit of my uniform didn't help at all. If I wasn't able to get to Ming's house I might just try my hand at the nurse back at base. That red head had no ass but some hella big knockers. If I got caught it would be even better. The sooner I got sent home the better.

It was then did I see a flash of red soar pass me. I looked over horrified to see one of my fellow soldiers go down.

"Sniper fire! Get down." Our commander yelled and the squad went into a crouch run. I kept looking past the trees to see our enemy. It wasn't until a bomb went off in front of us did I see about 20 Korean bastards scream and yell as they ambushed us.

The explosion did nothing to our squad and we just fired on at the oncoming enemy. As we continued to fire we got orders to retreat into the forest. We had minimal losses going into the forest. We walked backwards slowly until all of us were submerged into the cover that the trees provided. We got another order to run and we did. It wasn't even a few minutes until we found ourselves at a clearing.

"Ok fire team 1, take care of those snipers and fire team 2 will stay here! " Our commander commanded and I set out with my team to take out the sniper. We ran as fast we could up a steep hill. We knew that the longer we took to get up to the sniper position the more of our guys would get killed. It was when we saw a few sandbags through the trees did we know that we found our snipers.

It took us a minute or two but we got there no casualties. That was until we stormed the sniper camp. It was a small fort consisting of a few ammo crates and back up soldiers. The backup soldiers were taken out quickly. They seemed unprepared for a battle up close and from afar. We heard the mumbo jumbo of the Korean language. I learned a little Korean from Ming.

It wasn't long until I realized what they were saying. "Kill the monkey!" A pang of hurt hit my heart and I took cover. It took too long though. A bullet hit me square in the shoulder I shrieked in pain. Damn I had so many goddamn scars. Damn I was going to give these assholes the time.

I exited the crate that served me as cover and fire a few rounds at the Korean man who spoke those hurtful words. As I saw the Asians head explode I teared up. It was damn beautiful. It's what the bastard gets! Damn I hated him, that cold hearted Asian. Asians were just as bad as anybody else, so cold and evil. That's what pumped through my brain as I killed the rest of the backup and saw the snipers still firing not even making an attempt to run. So I let them have it. I shot them over and over again.

Their blood stained my clothing and I didn't stop until I saw the brain matter spill out onto the wood elevated stand that they once lay on. A hand touched my shoulder and knew that it was one of my fellow patriots telling me that it was over.

We all jogged back down to where our fellow troops were seen last only to see those bastards had already got to them. They were rifling through their bodies like they were some playdolls. I screamed in anguish as I ran into the opening the vibration of my gun sending shivers through my body. It was either that or the bullet wounds. The pain didn't register to me though. I fired off until all the Korean men were dead. I ran a bullet through each one's head just to be sure. I threw my now heated and dry automatic firearm falling to the ground in pain and anguish.

I had failed my fellow Americans. It was all my damn fault as I lay there coughing up blood, feeling like I was freezing to depth. I heard someone call for a medic and I screamed something that I couldn't even understand. The medic should have been here to protect the brave souls who fought here today, fuck their flaws they were still fighting on my side, my stupid side.

The field medic gave me a few pain killers and I was up on my feet. I had a limp but other than that I was good to go. It hurt like hell to jog but I did it anyway. We got a call from command telling us to meet up with forces coming near our way. To our relief those units had tanks.

We jogged through the forest till we got into the bare desert like area that was Old Shavy. It took us hald an hour approximately to get to the unit with the tank reinforced. Our commanding officer did all the standard procedure shit and before you know we were receiving fire. The damn Koreans were striking back in force trying to take back the base!

The tank got a few shots before the Koreans got so close to the point where we could see their faces. I went to the new unit's quartermaster and grabbed a spare automatic and started spraying. I reloaded and fired, reloaded and fired. When my gun jammed I took cover behind the tank and fixed it. Then I came back to see the Koreans were closer than ever. Now throwing grenades that I managed to evade by moving around the battlefield a lot the blood of my comrades being wasted everywhere. Their numbers soon dwindled and the combined force seemed to take down the rest of the enemy units. A few slowly dying Asians got the whole coupe de grace treatment via my pistol. Damn I was glad this was over. We got the all clear a few hours later and were told by command to haul ass back to the base

* * *

**STELM: **_**Really short chapter compared to my other ones. Just needed to show a mix of the few battles that occurred in the Korean wars. This one being mostly based off of the Battle of Old Baldy. The Regiment and Division are all legit and well that's Atrius's war experience. Vito had jail experience in the middle of his story and the army experience in the beginning of his story. This was just a flip flop. Read and REVIEW!**_


	9. Nancy Boy Marco

**Chapter IX: Nancy Boy Marco**

_December 20, 1955, Empire Bay, _

_The Battle of Old Shavy proved to be the highlight of my military career. The only legal career I had ever worked in. The following couple of years went by with nothing exciting happening and I got out there as soon as Uncle Sam said so. Before I was set to leave that godforsaken country I visited Ming who said she wanted me to stay. It was tempting for sure seeing as my "home" hated me walking on their streets added with the whole Mafioso centered life style I lived. But I knew I couldn't abandon the responsibilities I had there. At least I still had my dad and brother Jacob to call my own. Even though I barely saw them._

* * *

"Jacob?" I called out hardly recognizing the tall basketball player.

"The one and only." Jacob said cockily walking up and giving me a hard bear hug that made me drop my suitcases.

"Damn Jacob you look like you've been eating your milk like a good boy!" I said jeering the man's incredulous height.

"Whatever, at least I'm not a butthole." Jacob said going back to his old comeback to which I just laughed as we walked outside, damn it was cold. The ribbons and other fancy things felt cold but the normal useless noises they usually made were drowned out by the Empire Bay city life.

We walked to the parking lot and I punched the basketball player in his hounds tooth jacket covered shoulder. "That green baby right there is yours?"

"Sure is, Adam BT 12. Right from Great Britain." Jacob said as he hopped in the driver's seat and I put my bags in the trunk. Once I closed it I slid in the incredibly comfortable passenger's seat. The seats were almost as good as Jimmy's. I had grown to respect him more since he saved my life.

"So how's the basketball career going?" I asked trying to spark a conversation as my brother drove through the streets of Empire Bay.

"It's good; since the big leagues integrated I've been doing a lot better. People are getting rich, real rich." Jacob said in reflection as if he was some Rockefeller now. I'm sure he had money though; his next question wasn't so excepted.

"So what are you going to do now that you'll be walking free?" The elder Rocker said and my world stopped its rotation. What was I going to do?

I mean going back to my old life was an option but was it something I really wanted? I mean Bruno might still have some money that my father owed but then again fleeing the city could solve that. No, Bruno had to know people in every state. I didn't have enough money to leave the country. Mexico would just be worse for me, and Cuba was my family's old home and we had left it for a reason. Plus my Spanish was rustier than an underground doctor's needle.

"I don't know. I wish I did but I have no idea." I said yet I knew lies were spewing from my mouth. I was almost sure illegal was the only way I knew now.

We rode on in silence; it seemed Jacob was taking in everything. His little brother just went through war. If only a petty one he knew I had killed people. I'm sure he figured all my murders were sanctioned by old Uncle Sammy himself; that was if nobody told him otherwise. I know I now had a plethora of new skills; the military made me a better criminal. I was living the American dream, work under the power, fight for the power to stay in power, and then you continue to work with the power looking at you from a high pedestal. No matter what, you are never the power, never fully at least. This was the dream, or at least my spin on it.

The city I lived in now, Empire Bay was nice this time of the year, if you disregard the blistering cold. I hoped Jina was still at the house. I got letters from her and the girls every so often. Well to be realistic only three times in my war over seas. The last one I got told me that they weren't doing so hot but they were getting by. She said Mr. Rivette came by to give a helpful donation occasionally. I figured that to be quite nice, I made sure to make a note to myself to pay him back with the money I hoped to get soon.

Well we were at my house by now and before I got out Jacob got me by my arm and ask me a special request, "Atrius I've been talking to Dad and he wanted to ask, were you willing to stop by for Christmas? He lives in a city not too far off. I'll pick you up if you say the word."

"Sure J. I'd love to; just let me rest my legs. You got my number." I said and went to the front of the car and popped opened the trunk. I grabbed my things and waved my older brother goodbye. It was good seeing him. How he found me was the real question. I guess not seeing your younger brother in years get you to research a little.

I opened the door to my apartment building and it looked nothing like it did before. The wallpaper and flooring was all the same of course but it looked a little rustic and old. It smelt of something moldy and outdated, but I couldn't shake off the joy of homecoming. All I heard was some music in the upper room. Jina.

I rushed up the stairs my army uniform not restricting me a bit. I got up the stairs like I had done many times years prior and unlocked the top floor's only room's door.

"Jina!" I said in mock surprise, she was waiting for me. The smell of fresh cooked dinner fought off the dirty moldy one and my heart warmed up with my appetite.

"Willie you look so… different. Get your ass over here." She said in the way only Jina could. We hugged and she started to dress my plate. The place felt overly quiet. Chucky wasn't even here, either he was going to grab the girls or they were gone altogether. Either way me and Jina had a lot to talk about.

In front of me was a meal fit for a negro king: mashed potatoes, corn, candied yams, and a chicken breast. I gorged the meal down with ease, it was far better than the shit Uncle Sam fed me. Jina wasn't even half way through her plate when I cleared mine. I wiped my mouth with a napkin to hang onto the little table manners that I had. I had even forgotten to wash my hands. Thinking about all things I touched recently the empty plate in front of me looked like I had eaten a lot of things.

"Somebody was hungry." Jina said as she continued to eat her meal, a jazzy trombone player playing an extended solo on the radio. I swore I loved the instrument, if only I owned one, I'd master it.

"Well years of infantry work does that to you. How's your years been?" I asked in a conversationalist way playing with my fork as the conversation developed. What I really wanted to know was where the hell were my girls

"It's been slow without your muscle. Chucky's a bitch, no spine. You'd never guess what he did the second year you were gone." Jina started looking down at her plate like it was a crystal ball.

"I'm sure I can try. I'm guessing it has something to do with the girls." I said leaning back in my chair ready to bear the bad news.

"Well the first year he started making a lot of money with the girls. That was until one guy went to crazy with Beatrice. She didn't make it through. Chucky kept saying he was going to do something but never did anything. That's when we started losing girls. Chucky was a nice guy and everything but he was never the one to take control so everybody just took advantage and ran wild. Portia stayed the longest, she called me recently. Told me she moved where most of the girls went. This guy named Marco. Notoriously known, as a faggot. That's the competition we're facing." Jina explained and I got angrier as she kept speaking. How'd chucky let a gay take all my girls, something had to be done.

"So that's it, all my girls are gone? Where's Chucky?" I asked hoping the man didn't jump town, he was going to answer for all this.

"He should be… Oh speaking of the devil." Jina said as she heard the door close downstairs. I heard Chucky's high voice call out Jina's name. He opened the door a few seconds later. His red face turned pale. He backed up when he saw my face.

"Atrius, uh when did you get back? Jina why didn't you tell me boss man was coming back?" Chucky asked nervously, his voice choppy and staccato. I didn't know if it was from fear or the cold outside.

"I wanted to surprise you." Jina said and she looked at me like she thought I was going to strangle him with my pinky finger. Something that the public thought all soldiers could do. I did know this one trick with my three fingers though.

"Just sit down Chucky. We got a lot of talking to do." I said gesturing for the young failed pimp in training to sit down. He did so quickly yet reluctantly.

"So what you need Big A." Chucky said and his whole disposition screamed desperate. I had no reason to yell at the guy. He failed and he knew it. So I was going to let him earn his own. We were going to get our girls back.

"Come with me Chuck. We're going to get these girls back, I just need you to run a few errands." I said walking to the house phone. I had a lot of work to do.

_3 days later…_

"Alright Chuck today is the big day. You got the guns I asked for?" I asked and Chucky shook his head in affirmation so wildly I thought it was going to pop off.

"They're all in your drawer. I got ammo for them too." Chucky said and I passed him the cigar. He smoked it and calmed down a little bit. I figured we'd just wait for the clock to hit 4 o'clock. Then I'd call up Vonnie to get ready for our sit down with the fairy winged Kingpin. I had gotten all the information I'd needed in the last couple of days.

First off I found out that the "man" that stole my girls does a little heroine peddling on the side. My girls weren't his start either. He had a mansion of girls ironically. In between the girls, the boys, and the dope the man had gotten really rich and had even been recognized by the mob as a possible new enemy.

Mr. Rivette and me had a little talk yesterday and he told me the best way to tackle this giant. To simply talk. The capo confirmed that the kingpin had yet to kill a man, and resolved his conflicts mostly peacefully. It was a wonder why nobody tried to make a move on him yet, or at least that's what I mused myself with. I was sure I could get the kingpin on my side, in a business sense of course. If the guy tried anything funny, well I had Chucky buy me guns for a reason.

"Good. Get one Tommy and two 9mms. Get yourself strapped with one of the 9mms and leave the other one in the glove compartment. Start the car up and wait on me and Vonnie. He should be coming by soon." I said in a mellow state yet expecting affirmative action to be taken and Chucky went straight to it. I had to get shit done and the margin of error was slim.

Just like clockwork two minutes later Vonnie rolled up in his expensive two door. He got out and looked just as sharp as his car, dressed in a faded green rain coat, gray vest, a faded green shirt, gray pants, and black shoes that matched his hair.

I saw chucky greet him as he carried the guns to his car. Chucky had on a less than flashy outfit consisting of a peanut brown coat, brown hat, a white shirt, black pants with suspenders, and black shoes that he borrowed from me.

On my own attire I'd have to brag just a little bit. It looked a whole hell lot better than the army fatigues that I was wearing only a few weeks ago. I had on an orange overcoat, dark purple vest, orange pants, and some black shoes that also matched my hair. I had recently upon leaving the military let it grow out into a nappy medium sized afro, my facial hair was shaved, no fluff no fuss.

Seeing as it was time for action I kissed Jina goodbye and strapped myself with a magnum. Quick, powerful, and effective. Once I was ready to go I jogged down the stairs and welcomed the full fledged soldato with a warm and genuine smile.

"Looking sharp there friend." I said giving him the old street boy handshake we perfected over the ages, it was a little complicated but it was our own little thing.

"Sounding a little too happy to see me. Sure you aren't getting a little too happy to see this Marco friend of yours?"

"You're hilarious. Hit the gas Chucky." I said as I climbed in the passenger seat. Vonnie was already in the back. As I relaxed in the cheap sedan that Chucky got himself after he crashed the one his mom gave him. It was a Smith V8, I thought they did away with these pieces of shit a while ago, but I guess they were still rolling around, to my supreme distaste.

As we started to get into traffic I started to meditate on our current mission. The plan was to peacefully get into Marco's mansion peacefully, with our pieces. We'd have Chucky on the wheel if we needed a quick getaway. We expected our guns to be confiscated, if so we might have to do something creative if the criminal kingpin decided to refuse our offer.

That offer was to give us back our prostitutes and he wouldn't have any problems with the Scalleta Family. Of course that meant me being sort of associated with the family which I wasn't but for this purpose I guess I could wave this flag around. I mean I was just a Connected guy, nothing more, but I did have a connection and that's what mattered. I just hoped Vonnie saw it like that. He had grown since I last saw him. He had gotten a little bit older and had a little bit more swagger in his step. Maybe the Costa Nostra had changed him, who knew.

"So Vonnie how's the life?" I asked, and as soon as I said it I knew it wouldn't be right for him to answer. I mean it was a rule for him not to reveal himself to others.

"Atrius." Vonnie said and it sounded more like a call for my attention than just saying my name so I turned around.

Vonnie nodded his head towards the driver, Chucky. The movement explained it well and full. He didn't trust Chucky all too good yet. I told him of how he sent my cozy set up into ruins. Stuff like that can make a man not trust somebody else. I understood that.

"So how was the war though? They let you shoot some Japs?" Vonnie asked changing the subject completely.

"Uh wrong war Vonnie. Went overseas to kill some Koreans, Japs got killed in the last war." I said shaking my head the statement, was America so ignorant on current events? I guess it was just me being a soldier; the war was really real for me. To the public it was just something on the news.

"Oh sorry, just me being a joey captain." Vonnie said trying and failing once again to be politically correct. I decided to not tell him that I was an infantry man not a sailor. We rode on the rest of the way in relatively silence other than Delta Radio tuning us up to some smooth jazz.

"So Chuck try not to fuck this up K?" Vonnie said as me and him got out the car. I assumed Vonnie brought his own gun so I didn't say anything about my gun or the gun in the glove compartment.

Marco's mansion displayed his infamous sexuality if anything did. Even through the layers of snow I saw a bright yellow paint, decorating the house. Empty flower pots decorated the front of the mansion. The gate was open and a fountain gave the house's front yard a centerpiece. Put instead of a mermaid, a graceful animal, a harpie, or an angel the fountain showcased a carved statue of a naked male character I presumed was soom ancient god. I remember hearing about something like that a while ago when I was still in school.

As we pulled in the driveway the door was already open. Antonio and me had called him yesterday and he was ready to make negotiations.

"Hello gentlemen!" The mexican man who I presumed was Marco said and I could hear it in his voice. He was way too in touch with his feminine side.

"Marco I presume." I said stepping into give the man a handshake. My firm handshake was replied by a light one, this definitely wasn't going to go well.

"Si! I welcome you to my humble abode." Marco said his hand movements doing the most of the talking. His outfit set the tone a little too. He wore a Hawaiian silk shirt, tight black leather pants, and loafers.

"Thanks." Vonnie said walking into the house after Marco. What me and him saw was astounding.

It was like a dream, one of your favored ones. There were women everywhere, in the nude, proudly strutting around the house like they had power over the world. He had indoor pools, a chandelier, several stripper poles, and a few lounging couches and chairs. Mexican music was being played in the background. Good thing Chucky wasn't here. He'd probably sell his soul to this guy for just one of these girls. I had to tip my hat to the man though; he made my setup look like shit.

"You like? We cleared our schedule just for you Atrius. Now let's talk like gentleman." Marco said and I had no idea what he meant by this, whatever it was I was pretty sure it would scare me.

"Where are you taking us now?" Vonnie asked as we followed Marco upstairs. Getting down might be a bigger problem if things went south. Those thoughts started to lift from my mind as we walking through his hallways even more naked women showing up, one shifting past me, quickly yet gently caressing my manhood amorously as she past. As I looked back I saw the effectively recognizable ginger hair and shapely body that I had gotten to know well. As she looked back at me with a smile there was no doubt, Portia.

"My office." Marco said and another pretty nude girl opened the door for us. Jeez I could swear I remembered the girl, I was 90% sure she was also under my employment at one point in time. I never got this respect from any of my whores though. The girls and now that I scoped the room closely a few guys in this house just seemed to be going on about their business as we walked through. I guessed shame meant nothing to these gals and guys, that was good for business I bet.

As we walked into his office it had matched the rest of the house with its flair. Red and yellow striped walls gave the room a bright feeling and the desk that was sat in front of the window, giving us a wonderful view of the snowy outside, looked to be a capital escape route. Other than the desk and lamp the office also had a coffee table and a bench forming a half circle around it. To explain it plainly it was better than my office tenfold, he was out doing me in a lot of things, making me feel even more inadequate.

"So Atrius I've heard a lot about you. For one I know you were born in Cuba so, I figure if we should talk at all it should be in our native. What do you say?" The Mexican said and I knew this was some sort of test, if I refused the primping pimp might just think that I was all rumors and no bite; I need to reinforce any information he had.

"Bien por mí." I replied in my own accent, I was sure that the Mexican would speak a little slower than me so I might be able to decipher it better. Here's to hoping I didn't fuck up my own language.

For the next few minutes Marco interrogated me on my life leading up to today, leaving out anything I wanted the man not to know. I was lucrative about anything that might be important, and spoke it quickly. Just in case he had a wire. If I knew anything about small telecommunication devices I knew that the signal was probably too bad to hear me. Even my telephone back at home wasn't that good, a device that could fit in you jacket had to be horrid on the lines. Eventually we came back into the present and Marco changed the language into English for Vonnie's sake, I guess he knew how I felt when he spoke to guys in Italian around me.

"So I see what brings you here. You want your girls back and you want me to give them to you." Marco said bluntly and me and Vonnie looked at each other and nodded then looked at Marco and nodded.

"You see how that can be a problem. The girls you lost, surely like it in my palace. I give them a paradise to live in, what do you give them?" Marco asked somewhat accusingly of me. I had no idea; I did give them a home.

"I give them a home, I protect them." I said and it felt like I was on trial or something. Marco was more of a boss than I thought.

"Sure you do, but what do I get if I give them to you?" The nancy boy asked quizzically and I couldn't help but squeeze my rear cheeks together. Now this was starting to get creepy.

"We have the Scalleta family. You fuck us over and we'll fuck you and your palace up." Vonnie said an inside I ket thinking that the word fuck wasn't the best choice as an expletive.

"Sure I've heard of your famous crime families but you'd have to kill so many women to get to me. Something that would indeed be very attention grabbing in such a high class neighborhood such as mine, I mean the title practically sells itself. The media will eat it up." Marco said and it no doubt caught Vonnie's attention. Attention was something the mafia never wanted; it was a secret organization for a reason.

"We won't need the mob. We could kill you right now, nobody ever frisked us." I said and Marco's expression never changed, not even a flinch.

"Great, kill me then." Marco stated standing up, "Kill me! You won't ever get you girls back and you won't ever get out of here alive!" Marco yelled no doubt getting the attention of the girls outside who were probably lined up ready to blow me and Vonnie's brains out when we got outside, and not in the good way.

"Okay let's just calm down, what is it exactly that you want?" I asked leaning back in my chair. Negotiating with this guy was harder than fitting a camel through the eye of a needle, or however that saying went.

"Well… there are many things we could do; first, you could live with me." Marco said opening up options, that one however was closed before we walked into the door. So we simultaneously shook our heads.

"Huh, I guess there are only two options left then. I give you a set amount of girls, I figure you can at least handle ten; you have three months to pay them off. I'd say either you work for me for that amount of time or you pay me 2,000 right now, today." Marco said and both Vonnie whistled at the spendthrift price. My whores couldn't have been worth that much to him. The live in option sounded a little better now but I knew that that apartment on Misery Lane was my home.

"I'll work for you Marco. You have yourself a deal." I said before Vonnie could say yay or nay to either of the options. Marco smiled in a way only a devil could, but I knew that this could only go but so far, three months. So I reached over the table and shook his hand. A new partnership had been made.

_A couple hours later._

"So Vonnie how's the life been. I didn't hear too much in the papers." I said as me and Vonnie started walking down Misery Lane. We told Chucky to stay back, we were talking about important things and that he had to make sure all the guns were clean and loaded for the next time we would need them.

"We've been quiet, undercover really. The Done, he's smarter now. We're growing, Atrius. We're growing quick." Vonnie said wisely, this was a side I had never seen before, a more mature Vonnie.

"What about Nichi. How are his boys doing?" I asked. I knew that Mafioso's knew all the families business, or at least the business the family let show out on the streets. I knew not to ask Mr. Rivette on the lines because they were probably tapped but in the cold darkness of the Bay it was hard to hear anything, most people on the street minded their own god damn business.

"From what I hear through the grapevine, they are making a lot of moves in the drug dealing trade, frowned on by the commission but for a long time their family hasn't given a two fucks about what the commission enforced. The Don himself spoke against it, but some people never learn."Vonnie explained as we crossed the street, the city that never slept kept up with its motto and traffic was still dense.

"So what about that old rat Vinci? He still kicking?" I said remembering the oldest Don in the city. I'm sure any made man under his order would grab all their guns and fire without hesitation if they heard that, but I was strapped myself, and war was nothing to me.

"Violently. Rumor has it that he is about to gain some more order in the Bay. That would mean pressing down on Nichi and his family. Good thing for me. The Don has played it smart, keeping things secret. Speaking of, I got to get off the street. Let's start heading back." Vonnie said, and I realized we had only walked around the same block twice. The brief talk was good though, now I had a better realization of what was going, and it didn't look good for Antonio Rivette, his Don, and Family.

* * *

**STELM: **_**Ok that's a chapter I've been waiting a while to get out of the way. The whole family thing. I wanted to give the story a "the one who made it" type feel. The family story that is. The younger brother stayed with the mom and suffered poverty. The older one lived life and became a star the legal way. While the dad is out doing God knows what. So yah… there's that.**_

_**I know it's been eons since I typed up another chapter but I really haven't gotten any incentive for doing so. My other crime fanfic, GTA South Harroline shows oodles of success and every time I write another chapter I get really good feedback but with this fanfic I never feel like I have anybody listening. So if you're listening please just write a meager review and I'll continue on with the story I've already laid out three chapters in advance. I feel my greatest writing comes from here and I'd appreciate it if you'd review.**_

_**Only one spoof in this one is Jacob's Adam BT 12 is based off of the 1952 Alvis TB 21. **_


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